On Your Shore
by Mazuiko
Summary: Premovie CadeBee, MegatronPrime, BlackoutJazz: When the 'Cons find Bee trapped by an avalanche, the war takes a turn for the worst. The human race fights against extermination, the Autobots fight to survive, and Bee fights a fate worse than death. R&R!
1. Taken

**Mazuiko**: Here's a note for all readers. This takes place before the movie, and the main difference is that the Decepticons and Autobots have already landed on Earth. The Decepticons have been looking for the Allspark and trying to form a base of operations on Earth (the destruction of the human race has to start somewhere). Megatron and Optimus Prime are NOT brothers in this fic (they are in the movie), which is important (there are several pairings in this fic). Barricade/Bumblebee, Megatron/Optimus Prime, and Blackout/Jazz (never saw this one coming). This is my first Transformers fic, so please have a bit of mercy on me. I am not familiar with the characters, so some OOCness might happen (my apologies). As always, if anyone's OOC, please let me know why, how, when, where, and how to fix it. Thank you.

**"Cybertronian"**

"English"

'_Thoughts'_

"…" Pause

_**Taken**_

Dawn had come, and if his GPS was correct, his coordinates were where he feared. He didn't move, didn't dare test the Earth's limited patience lest he further aggravate his condition. His sensors were sending him signals of increasing pain, though that told him his legs were still attached. Running the memory through his processor once more before declaring himself lucky, he sent another distress signal out into the distance.

Bumblebee was _stuck_.

The lower half of his body was buried beneath an unknown amount of rubble after he was surprised by what the humans called an avalanche. Perhaps, if he had known about it sooner, he might have gotten away unharmed. Unfortunately for him, he had been caught off guard, and was overtaken by debris too heavy even for him. Trying to move his legs out from underneath could further upset the delicate balance of the rock in the side of the mountain, risking an even deeper burial and greater injury. His coordinates were far from the other Autobots…he knew he was risking discovery by the Decepticons. Still, he had come so close to getting to Sam Witwicky…he had to get help. It was right after sending the signal at dawn that he received a returning signal…from Optimus Prime!

"Bumblebee, where are you?"

He consulted his GPS yet again, verifying his whereabouts.

"Near the town of Tranquility…Optimus, my sensors are picking up another signal nearby."

Bumblebee noticed the signal was getting closer, probably trying to track his own signal.

Wait…

"Optimus, are there any other Autobots near this location?"

"I have already contacted Ratchet and Ironhide. They should make it to your coordinates in about an hour."

"I'm picking up another returning signal, about ten to twenty minutes from here."

"A Decepticon…do you know who it is?"

"No…wait…"

That was when he heard the footsteps, the mechanical hum of working machinery and circuit systems becoming clearer as the robot approached. He could see the red optics from an angle, allowing him to remain hidden while waiting for the enemy to pass by. Bumblebee somehow knew better; he could sense the familiarity between the Decepticon and himself. He recognized the teeth, the forward, daring stance, and the hands…

"Optimus…Barricade picked up my signal. He hasn't found me…yet."

"Can you move to defend yourself?"

"My cannon works, but my legs are useless. I am half buried underneath the remains of an avalanche, so if he finds me…"

"I understand. Jazz and I are coming as quickly as possible."

Bumblebee kept himself ready as Barricade continued to approach, still unable to bring out his cannon due to the sound it would create. He was absolutely still, the tension high as his processor worked to find a solution. _'He's too close...only about several hundred feet. They won't make it here in time.'_ Only his optics moved, following Barricade's every movement. It wouldn't be long, he knew, before the black Decepticon found him. He cocked his head slightly when he heard another noise, that of a…helicopter? _'Slag! Blackout's here too?'_ It made sense to him; one looking on land, one looking in the air. If his suspicions were correct, he had an entire **group** of Decepticons looking for his signal. He soon found it to be true; when he brought his gaze back down, he was staring into very red optics. His first initial reaction was expected; a cannon that became the only barrier between them. Barricade didn't move, simply staring at the still, golden form of the Autobot spy. He lifted his right hand to his head, using what Bumblebee suspected was his communicator with the other Decepticons.

**"Blackout, I have found the source of the signal. Contact the others, lock onto my location, and rendezvous immediately."**

Barricade's hand retreated back to his side, leaving him as still as the crumpled form in front of him. Bumblebee's aim never wavered, his options growing more limited with every passing moment.

"Optimus, where are Ratchet and Ironhide?"

"They'll be at your location in about 34 minutes."

"Optimus, he **found** me."

"Bumblebee—"

"He's already contacted the other Decepticons. I don't know where they are but—"

"Ratchet and Ironhide won't make it in time. We're coming; has your condition worsened?"

"Only my legs are injured, but I can't **move** Optimus. My cannon—"

"It won't hold them off. How many Decepticons are headed towards your coordinates?"

"I'm not sure. He contacted Blackout, but Blackout will be contacting other Decepticons. Optimus—"

The time for talking was over. Barricade's movement towards him caused his cannon to buzz with energy; his aim fixed right where the shock trooper's spark was located.

**"Well, it seems we have found the bubbly, bumbling bee. Now, how is it that you came to be in this condition?"**

Bumblebee glared at the other robot, his memories of past interrogations running through his processor as a helicopter transformed above him, coming to land at a distance behind Barricade. _'He was always quick to get to interrogating others, and now Blackout's here. Primus, I can't hold them off on my own!'_ Blackout approached and stopped only a short distance behind the other Decepticon, his gaze also fixated on the gold Autobot.

**"The others will be here soon. Shall I terminate him?"**

The aim of his cannon fixed itself on Blackout once his auditory system picked up his words, but Blackout didn't seem concerned. _'He doesn't really need to be.'_ Barricade cocked his head, and Bumblebee suspected he was using a private communication link with Blackout.

**"Dig him out."**

He wasn't the only robot surprised by Barricade's order. Blackout was obviously questioning Barricade through their link, but the answer came quickly.

**"He'll be of greater use to us alive. Dig him out."**

Bumblebee would have none of it. His cannon fired upon Blackout, but Barricade used the opportunity to slam his arm down, trying to force his cannon into the ground. He released a high pitched scream of pain, the new injury adding to the pain in his legs. Blackout saw it necessary to place his weight upon Bumblebee's left arm as Barricade nearly tore his right arm apart, the two Decepticons using his arms as foot mats while they tore at the rubble on his legs. His cries of pain were ignored, and his struggles had been reduced to the occasional tug as his body had almost no more room to move.

"Bumblebee, what's going on?"

"Optimus? **Let me go! **They're digging me out, and I can't move at all. Barricade tore my cannon apart and—"

He heard the sound of a jet, and Bumblebee didn't have to look to know who had arrived. _'That's Starscream, and I can see Brawl and Bonecrusher in the distance.'_ The same trees that had hidden him from Barricade were obstructing his view, but he could make out the forms of the other Decepticons as they spoke.

**"Barricade, what _are_ you doing?"**

Starscream had a temper, and Bumblebee knew he'd order them to stop and kill the Autobot instead. What he didn't know was that Barricade didn't care for Starscream's 'command', and the shock trooper continued.

**"We are digging the Autobot out. We can put him to use. He probably knows where the glasses are and has information as to the location of Megatron and the Allspark."**

Starscream appeared to be considering Barricade's position, but Bumblebee was fairly sure that Brawl and Bonecrusher looked disgusted with the idea. He never spoke to the Decepticons in Cybertronian; to most Autobots, the Decepticons had no right to speak in the language of their home world, the very place they tore apart with war.

"Let me go. I don't know where the glasses are."

Barricade laughed. Bumblebee **hated** when he laughed. It made him shiver, and he couldn't understand why.

**"The spy is lying. He must have been on his way towards the glasses' location. He's too close to have been doing otherwise. We'll take him to the base and…_question_ him once we dig him out."**

The looks of delight on the Decepticons' faces told Bumblebee just how dire his situation had become. _'Bonecrusher, Brawl, Starscream, Barricade, Frenzy, Blackout and Scorponok…Primus, help me.'_

**Mazuiko**: I hope this wasn't too long or short. It's hard to tell on Microsoft Word. Anyway, hope you enjoy it. I am already typing out chapter 2; I just hope someone wants to read that as well!


	2. Interest

**Mazuiko**: For those of you who are wondering, Bumblebee is a youngling in this fic (this is an IMPORTANT detail). He was created during the war, so he doesn't know what Cybertron was like during peacetime. He's the equivalent of a human 15 or 16 year old. The reason this is important is because, unlike Bumblebee, Barricade was around before the war, when there was peace. He's the equivalent of a human 29 or 30 year old. So, because of their separation in years, it will be like a 'scandal' to the other robots. It's like a 30 year old man picking up a 15 year old from school to go 'do something'. (I apologize for any terrible visualization that comes up).

_**With Interest**_

"Optimus, he's gone."

Prime knew he had to change course, knew he had to find the glasses before the Decepticons did. Bumblebee left him with one last transmission before his private link had been interrupted.

"You must get to the residence of Sam Witwicky and get the glasses. Barricade is already on his way…if he gets to him first—"

That was the last they heard from him. Ironhide and Ratchet had set out looking for him, but Prime suspected that Starscream had flown him away, his signal getting weaker with the distance until it had faded into nothing. They had set out towards Tranquility afterwards, unable to keep up with Bumblebee's signal and yet still aware that the Allspark took priority…which did not sit well with Jazz.

"Chief, I gotta—"

"No, Jazz. We don't know how many Decepticons are headed towards the residence, and we must secure the Allspark **at all costs**."

"He's a younglin', Chief, he ain't ready! Ain't once enough? He got it done to 'im by Megatron, of all the slaggin' 'Cons! Now 'Cade's got 'im—"

"Barricade is headed towards the residence as well, so he won't be torturing Bumblebee—"

"Not yet, he won't. I hope 'Hide gets to 'im first."

Ironhide had already declared Barricade dead (which meant he was on the hit list), but Prime feared the worst. Barricade had already left to get the glasses when Bumblebee sent his last signal, and if the Decepticon got to the human first, then they were in trouble.

"Oh, I'll get to 'im alright. Pain in the aft 'Con won't know what…oh, Primus. Optimus…"

Prime didn't need to look to know what shocked Ironhide. The human's home was a wreck, which gave him the news he dreaded.

They were too late.

The Autobots, after tracing the Witwicky discovery of Megatron, learned of the Allspark's location and left immediately. He could only hope Megatron didn't get a hold of it first.

* * *

Bumblebee was in a foul mood, if it could be called that. His cannon had been taken offline, his signals were being blocked or intercepted, and he was locked up in a holding cell that made him wonder exactly what the Decepticons had been doing with their time. He was being repaired, though not all at once, and Bumblebee couldn't remember a time when a Decepticon had ever wanted an Autobot to be functioning properly. His musings were interrupted when Barricade, who should've been blown up by Ironhide, walked into his holding cell. Bumblebee could feel his stare, feel the thoughts running through his processor, and he could even feel Barricade's seemingly victorious mood as it filled the room.

"**Your comrades have failed. We have located Megatron and the Allspark."**

"They'll get to it before you do…they won't let you take it."

Starscream entered his cell, his laugh a telling witness to his name.

"**They're on their way, but they won't make it in time. Frenzy is freeing Megatron as we speak. Barricade, he has no use to us now. It doesn't matter that he wouldn't tell us where the glasses were…we found them anyway. It's time to terminate him."**

"**No. He is still of some use to us, just like the other Autobots."**

Both Starscream and Bumblebee stared at Barricade in wonder as he communicated his reasoning through a private link. Bumblebee was curious as to what else they could possibly want besides the Allspark, but he could only watch Starscream sneer at him as the Decepticon left the cell. Barricade, however, walked even closer to him, the red optics gleaming with something Bumblebee could not place.

"**This war will soon be over, Autobot."**

Bumblebee looked down at his torn right arm, where his cannon would normally have formed, and decided it couldn't hurt to question.

"So, how did you convince him to let me live this time?"

He shivered as Barricade laughed **again**, and the thought of ripping out the 'Con's voice capacitor briefly crossed his processor.

"**To punish and **_**enslave**_**…that is why we're here."**

He may have been too young to truly understand all the ways of war, but Bumblebee was a soldier…and all wars had a cost.

* * *

Prime felt Megatron long before he saw him. The rage, greed, hatred, and ambition all radiating from the tyrant's spark, sucking him in like a fierce depression he could not shake off. The Allspark was located very close to Megatron, even in the same facility. More suspicions crept their way into his processor, and Prime hoped against everything that they were wrong. However, considering how many of his recent suspicions had come true, he still felt the gnawing of doubt.

"**Optimus Prime!"**

The familiarity of that voice shook him to his core. His own spark urged him on to victory, to peace at last, with the hope of new life…or at least the assurance that both Earth and Cybertron would be free of Megatron's cruelty.

"Megatron, we meet again at last."

"**It is time we did, **_**old friend**_**. I present to you…**_**the Allspark**_**!"**

Every robot, Autobot or Decepticon, froze and became metallic statues. Depending on the individual, shock became delight…or horror.

"**This war is over, Prime. **_**Serve me or die!**_**"**

Prime looked over at Ironhide whose expression was still twisted in surprise.

"Optimus, you know we'd rather die. I'm ready if you are."

Jazz and Ratchet nodded, but Prime had to be sure.

"If we die, the human race will be extinguished, but we must fight. Ironhide, Jazz, Ratchet…it was an honor to fight alongside you. _**Autobots, ROLLOUT!**_"

Megatron laughed, his voice shaking Prime's systems as he charged towards the cruel, merciless tyrant.

"**Decepticons, you have your orders…do not fail me!"**

**Mazuiko**: Sorry this one is so short guys, but I cut it off there for a reason. Chapter 3 is already on its way, so don't fret. Reviews are welcome!


	3. Aftermath

**Mazuiko**: Sorry about all the editing, guys. I just wanted the different POVs and sections to be shown. I'm on a roll! I got 13 reviews in less than 48 hours. My goal: longer chapters because I love you all. Yes, people, the Autobots ARE losing the war. The Decepticons would never treat Bumblebee any different just because he's a youngling; they're DECEPTICONS, remember? Cruelty comes first for them in most cases. Barricade isn't a letch, since I certainly don't get that impression from him; cruel Decepticons are attracted to innocence (and want to crush it) like bears to honey. They tear the beehive apart before they devour the sweetness contained within. He is going to be cruel, straight to the point, and quite lacking in tolerance and patience. He has a temper, and an innocent, bubbly youngling is something Barricade has no qualms tearing apart. **That **is the impression I got from him in the movie. As for Bumblebee's desperation for help in the first chapter…I considered his age and decided that most teenagers, even battle hardened ones, are afraid of being torn apart while being helpless to defend themselves. Death frightens most people, even soldiers. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it (or I wouldn't be typing this chapter) and am glad someone could connect to Bumblebee's fear. Someone figured out the plot already…well, it was obvious. You all rock! Angst first, then romance mixed with angst…then more romance mixed with angst. Yay!

_**Aftermath**_

Prime dodged Megatron's flail again, hoping to get a hold of the Allspark, but he was having no luck. Megatron's orders were unknown to him, but Prime's instinct was kicking in. _'They're not trying to kill us, so what are they doing? We would have been killed by now.'_ He stopped long enough for his auditory system to pick up Jazz's protests.

"Put me down! Ironhide, I could use a little help!"

It made no sense to Prime. _'Primus, Blackout is __**carrying**__ him!'_ Ironhide was trying to shoot his way through what seemed like a wall of Decepticons. _'He's using the Allspark to create a new army. Where is Blackout taking Jazz?'_ Jazz was extremely battered, but his injuries didn't look severe.

"Blackout, put me down! Optimus! Ya slaggin' 'Con, I said stop!"

Jazz's protests faded into the distance, the other Autobots blocked by the increasing numbers of Decepticon troops. The sight of Jazz beating his fists against Blackout's armor burned itself into his processor, forever making its impression upon his spark. Prime tried to get to him, but Megatron was keeping him occupied, constantly fighting to keep himself alive.

* * *

"Ya slaggin' piece of scrap! Agh!" 

Blackout, once he was far enough from the battle in Mission City, threw Jazz onto the ground with tremendous force.

"**You will come with me, Autobot."**

"Not happenin'!"

Jazz fired at Blackout, the larger Decepticon dodging the heat rounds and running closer with each dive he performed. Jazz was used to fighting; getting his limbs ripped off, having his armor torn apart, and avoiding getting his spark ripped out, but something was off. Blackout was **determined** to cause superficial damage. The strange 'dance' was always the same; Jazz would fire, Blackout would dive, Jazz would block, Blackout would grab, Jazz would struggle, and Blackout would throw. It was frustrating him beyond anything because it made no sense. Decepticons hated Autobots because that was just an unwritten rule, so there were things they just **had** to do as ordinary, incapable-of-feeling Decepticons. They hated, killed, maimed, mutilated, tortured, deceived, lied, manipulated, back-stabbed, double-crossed, and performed acts of cruelty. They did _**NOT**_, by an unwritten rule established since the beginning of the war, do otherwise. They did not love, adore, like, help, give, mourn, heal, comfort, teach, learn, feel, or do anything out of the 'goodness' of their _nonexistent_ sparks. When Blackout finally decided that enough was enough and held on tight to Jazz, it made the Autobot angry. It was the **facts** that made him angry, because the unwritten rules were being broken. His beliefs about Decepticons, the ones that Autobots believed so they could kill the wretched traitors and move on with their lives, were being proven WRONG. Blackout wasn't hating, killing, maiming, mutilating, torturing, deceiving, lying, manipulating, back-stabbing, double-crossing, or performing acts of cruelty on him. He was ignoring Jazz's protests, carrying the Autobot to some unknown destination, allowing him to suffer from nothing except the knowledge that his faction had lost the war…and that Decepticons were not only what Autobots believed them to be.

* * *

"Optimus, something's **wrong**." 

Prime knew what Ironhide was speaking of. Not a single Autobot in Mission City had been killed. The Decepticons were trying to take them down, but not actually take them out. They had avoided Prime, as always, but their actions were worrying him. Ratchet was gone; Prime hadn't seen him since a group of newly created Decepticons had flown him off into the distance. _'They took him in the same direction they took Jazz…and Bumblebee.'_ New Decepticons created from military vehicles and aircraft with strong armor and musculature were giving Ironhide target practice, but their sheer numbers were becoming trouble for the old mech. The battle was like none before it; they couldn't just keep shooting Decepticons until there were none left because their numbers would never decrease. The human military had unknowingly given Megatron the army he needed; the cars and appliances of Earth were quickly becoming ground troops to back up the tanks, jeeps, and jets that were forcing Ironhide to put his every movement to use. Time wasn't a factor; Cybertronians did not grow tired, weary, or drowsy nearly as quickly as humans. Only when their energon reserves were depleted and they needed to go into recharge (badly) would the Cybertronian equivalent of human exhaustion kick in.

"They won't take me; I'll give them no choice but to rip me to pieces first!"

His old friend's words were brave, but Prime could see Ironhide's increasing anger and frustration. They were the only two left, and Prime was suffering badly from injuries he had already taken from Megatron's flail. The Decepticon leader was tearing at him, his musculature barely restraining the other mech from pinning him. It was only after several Earth days, when several tanks carried a cursing Ironhide away and Prime had optics as red as expensive high-grade energon looking down into his own that he allowed himself to believe the truth.

The war was over.

* * *

Bumblebee almost thought his processor had finally fried when he heard Jazz's voice on the other side of his cell's door; he had told himself he would never hear that voice again. His signals must've only been blocked from going outside of the base, not within it. 

"Get me outta here! Ya hear me? I ain't stayin' in 'ere!"

"Jazz, are you alright?"

"Bumblebee, thank Primus, I thought…well, that don't matta. Ya in a cell, too?"

"Yes. How are the others? Did you get the Allspark?"

The silence that followed disturbed the youngling more than any injury or battle he had ever been in. Barricade then entered, and Bumblebee figured Jazz had heard him since the First Lieutenant had stayed quiet.

"**Your war is lost. Megatron has the Allspark and is currently on his way here with Optimus Prime."**

"You're lying…"

"No, he ain't lyin' Bee."

Jazz's voice interrupted his sudden rage, and the sadness that filled his spark nearly overwhelmed him.

"You mean…Ratchet…Ironhide and Optimus—"

"I don't know what happened to 'em, Bee. They were fightin' like hell when Blackout brought me 'ere. I can't believe it. Megas got Chief? Ah no…"

He looked cautiously at Barricade, only allowed a single glance before the black shock trooper dragged him from his cell and down the halls of the base. He would not cooperate; he tugged, yanked, kicked, and pulled with every opportunity, refusing to go in any direction he was led. Only when Barricade slammed him against the wall and pushed his fingers into Bumblebee's shoulders did he stop.

"**I have orders to take you to Megatron's point of arrival. Your cooperation is not optional."**

"Torturing me didn't help you, and neither will threats. I'm not listening to you."

"**The enslavement of the Autobots, as well as the extermination of the human race, is imminent. Your absolute obedience is mandatory, and the consequences for doing otherwise will be severe."**

"I don't care what you say! You don't—"

"—**own you? I'm afraid he does **_**dear **_**youngling."**

The sound of Megatron's voice filled him with dread; Bumblebee's last encounter with him at Tyger Pax was not pleasant. Only when his optics met those of Optimus Prime did Bumblebee's spark rise from the deep depression caused by torture and anguish. Barricade stood at attention, probably waiting for what Bumblebee suspected to be another order from Megatron. However, Barricade turned to look at the golden Autobot.

"**Our orders from Lord Megatron were as follows: **_**Should the Autobots fail to surrender, then their punishment shall be eternal enslavement. Let none escape.**_

* * *

Bumblebee's spark dropped, his processor reeling from the information just as Prime's jaw seemed to finally manage to shut. The Autobot leader, being much older than Bumblebee, understood what _eternal enslavement_ truly meant. They were not like humans; their bodies did not rust, deteriorate, or weaken with age. The only things that could really kill a Cybertronian were viruses, malfunctions, accidents, and other Cybertronians. Viruses, malfunctions, and injuries from accidents could be repaired and prevented easily by a medic like Ratchet; deaths by other Cybertronians didn't happen until the war started. Prime, knowing this, had the experience needed to understand what Barricade was truly saying; the Autobots would never again taste freedom or its rewards. They were now slaves of the Decepticons, subject to their every whim, and completely unable to prevent or stop it…for the rest of time. It made Prime briefly wonder if time itself had an end at all. Bumblebee looked up at his leader, his creator, and his role model as if searching for an answer, for hope that Barricade was wrong. 

"Optimus…?"

Prime could not look into the baby blue optics of the only remaining youngling, the one he himself had created, and now the one he had ultimately failed to protect. He looked instead at the youngling's feet, noticing Barricade was still holding Bumblebee up against the wall and Bumblebee was still trying to pull the Decepticon's fingers out of his shoulders as he kicked the black mech in vain.

"Do as he says."

The youngling's whole body stiffened, then went lax. Prime was expecting what happened next; he had been the one who created and raised the little Autobot after all. Barricade had pulled his fingers out and relaxed his grip after Bumblebee's body went limp, but that was his mistake. The next few moments reminded Prime of times when he had made the same mistake, and almost laughed at the look of shock on Megatron's face. Bumblebee had gone limp, looked at Barricade for a very brief moment, then _exploded_. He nearly tackled the surprised Decepticon in his fury, kicking, screaming, and swinging little fists as the shock trooper tried to regain the upper hand. Bumblebee continued to thrash and struggle even after Barricade picked him up and slammed him against the wall, the blow only stunning the youngling slightly before he continued. Megatron's shock quickly faded, though, and Prime's auditory system was assaulted with a very loud and harsh voice.

"**Get him to calm down or I'll stop him myself!"**

"I'm not going to let you hurt him, Megatron."

Megatron chuckled slightly before advancing towards the unsuspecting youngling.

"**Honestly, I'd think you had forgotten that I was Lord High Protector before the war."**

Prime's processor couldn't find a reason for Megatron's statement before his optics did. The Decepticon leader simply walked up to the youngling and grabbed the back of his neck, smirking triumphantly when the little body went limp in his grip.

"**You'd forgotten that I dealt with younglings, Prime. I'm **_**insulted**_**. If you can't control him, Barricade, then I'll give him to someone else."**

"**Yes, my lord."**

Barricade's hand proceeded to replace Megatron's at the back of Bumblebee's neck, the Autobot looking like he was trying to be angry…but failing.

"**He will learn to obey, Prime, and so will you. Disobedience will be punished, so you had best learn **_**quickly**_**."**

Prime followed Megatron as he walked, his thoughts replaying recent events, hoping to find a solution to what was becoming an even more desperate situation. Only one thought kept coming back to his processor, refusing to leave him in peace. _'I have failed.'_

* * *

Bumblebee tried desperately to find the will to fight back, but the back of his neck was sending relaxation signals to his systems, keeping both his body and his processor calm and still. Barricade, being only an inch taller than Bumblebee, had to hold the Autobot up beside him. The youngling had expected the Decepticon to simply drag him across the floor. Finally giving up on fighting until he was released, he decided he was bored. 

"Where are you taking me?"

"**I am taking you to my quarters. It would not be efficient to keep you in a holding cell."**

"I'm going to be living with you?"

"**You cannot serve me otherwise."**

His leg twitched…_violently_.

"There is no way—forget it. No. It's not going to happen. I hate you, and…well, I hate you. You can't get me to talk when you torture me, so give it up already. I will **never**—"

Barricade suddenly increased the pressure on the back of his neck, and Bumblebee let out a small whimper before falling silent.

"**You try to hide your age, but your inexperience is evident."**

Barricade released him when they arrived at the base's living quarters, and Bumblebee took a moment to get his systems back to normal. Before Barricade could close the door, they heard a very irritated voice echo down the halls.

"Ya pain in the aft! Stop luggin' me around. If ya think I'm gonna listen to ya for one moment then ya dumba than I thought!"

Bumblebee looked past the black Decepticon to see Blackout carrying Jazz as he walked through the living quarters, probably taking Jazz to his own room.

"Hey Bumblebee, that 'Con betta not have hurt ya! 'Cade, I swear, ya keep ya dirty hands offa 'im!"

"**What I do with my property is none of your concern, Autobot. Blackout, we must make our preparations quickly. Megatron wants us ready for departure by Earth's next nightfall."**

"He ain't ya property, ya slaggin' scrap heap!"

"**Believe what you will. You will see reason soon enough."**

Bumblebee glared at Blackout as he continued farther down the hall, soon out of the sight of their optics. The youngling then fixated his glare on Barricade, his attitude showing through his posture.

"I'm not your property, no matter what you say."

Barricade closed the door, paused briefly, and responded with a very gruff, bold tone.

"**You are only trying to deny what has come to pass. It is inevitable. You will eventually realize the futility of your resistance and stop trying to run away from the truth."**

"Do you _enjoy_ being cruel and unreasonable, or is it just in your spark? No, don't even bother answering. You don't have a spark!"

Bumblebee allowed himself a moment to calm down so he could continue, but Barricade suddenly grabbed his hand and put it on his black chest, right where his spark's casing was located.

"Oh…"

Normally he would consider such a move foolish, but they both were aware that Bumblebee's cannon was still useless. What was only a small moment felt like a millennium to Bumblebee, his hand still held firmly in place over Barricade's spark.

"You're warm."

His voice was small and quiet, sounding much more timid than he wanted it to.

"I knew it was there…I mean, it makes sense but I just…I guess I thought—"

Barricade proceeded to place his right hand on Bumblebee's chest, his left hand still holding Bumblebee's right hand in place. The Autobot then held the hand touching his chest with his own left hand, mimicking Barricade's position exactly. Their hands were relieved of their positions only when Bumblebee had mustered up the courage to look into the optics of the other mech.

"**I am not as warm as you, Bumblebee, but I still have life in me."**

A pang of guilt and sadness coursed its way through Bumblebee before he managed to nod and speak.

"You said we were supposed to be ready for departure. Where are we going?"

"**You are quite curious…perhaps too much."**

"Is Megatron sending you to destroy another planet?"

"**No, he is not."**

"I thought he was going to finish the base here."

"**He is not going to finish the work here himself. He has drones here to do that for him."**

"Then why is he getting ready to go so quickly?"

Barricade let out a low, deep chuckle at Bumblebee's heightened curiosity.

"**We are returning to Cybertron."**

**Mazuiko**: This story just wants to jump out of my head! My fingers can't keep up with my thoughts. There's nothing like a quiet moment between enemy mechs to help them realize just how similar they are. Poor Jazz…Blackout just can't keep his hands off of him. As for the thing about the back of Bumblebee's neck, I read that in a story somewhere. It makes younglings become calm and still, like a kitten. What I've noticed about cats (I have one) is that the mother doesn't have to be the one carrying the kitten for it to work. A human could do it just the same. (I give full credit of that idea to the author of whatever story that was. I just couldn't help using it. The rest of the plot is mine.) If anyone has any questions or doesn't understand something, feel free to ask. I just hope you guys enjoy it. Many thanks to all reviewers!


	4. Reflection

**Mazuiko**: I found out from a review asking about the one thought that kept bothering Prime that his thought _'I have failed.' _was, for some reason, left out. Oops. Don't worry; I put it in there for you guys to find. Megatron wanted Bumblebee and Barricade to wait for him at his point of arrival so that he could give Bumblebee to Barricade and see how a youngling would react since Bumblebee was the only one left. Yeah, Megatron's cruel like that. By the way, the romance will take a bit since I don't like rushing things. Rushed stories sound corny. Bleh. Quality, not quantity (or in this case, length), makes the story worth reading, and you have all been kind in your reviewing. You deserve a good work from me, so I'm really trying to piece something together that is just dragging me along with it (it just won't stop running so FAST!). Barricade was having a warm, romantic moment with our 'Bee. He got mad when 'Bee said "You don't have a spark!". (How can a mech be afraid of having his spark ripped out by Megatron if he doesn't have one, and is there any such thing as a Decepticon who does not fear having that happen?). I'm thinking of every 5,000 years being equivalent to one human year in age, so Bumblebee is a little over 75,000 Earth years, and Barricade is over 150,000 Earth years. Optimus is just plain old, and Ironhide is **ancient**! The Autobots need to realize that Decepticons are _capable_ of feeling before they'll ever believe they can love. Poor 'Bee…having never known peace, the sheer cruelty had convinced him that Decepticons aren't capable of such…emotion. Remember, we still have Megatron/Prime and Blackout/Jazz to watch…is a writer supposed to have this much fun? Lol. Enjoy.

Question for reviewers: Does anyone have any idea, or impression, as to how Megatron and Optimus Prime got along before the war? They ruled together, but did they have arguments? Fights? Did they get along, or were their views too different? How did they behave and act with each other before Megatron pulled the rug out from underneath poor Prime?

_**Reflection**_

Present

Bumblebee shifted on the seat in Barricade's quarters, still cranky from having to be locked in a Decepticon's room after being forced to endure space travel back to Cybertron. It wasn't that he didn't want to come back; in fact, the circumstances dictated that he did. He just remembered and felt too much. His first encounter with Barricade had drawn an intimate picture onto the canvas of their intertwined lives, two lives that Primus would not allow to be separated. He seemed, no matter how hard he tried, to always fall right back into the arms that took him when he was so young, the equivalent of a human six year old, and Barricade a young, twenty-one year old adult, both of them not ready for an encounter with the other…

* * *

Ky-Alexa, about 45,000 Earth years ago

Jazz had been assigned his sitter that shift, although he couldn't say that he minded that much. Bumblebee was busy amusing himself with assaulting Ironhide, grabbing the old mech by the hand and trying to hide them both from Jazz's keen optics. There was nothing like playing Hide and Seek with Ironhide…or, as he liked to call it, 'Hide and Jazz. It was usually fun as long as Jazz didn't get too frustrated with chasing the playful youngling down the halls of Ky-Alexa, the Autobot stronghold that Megatron's army had their optics set on. The first lieutenant had repeatedly told Prime that 'Bee needed to be moved to another location, and Prime agreed, but they realized there were no Autobots apt for the journey. Ironhide, Ratchet, and Jazz were needed to keep the stronghold standing, and Prime was occupied at Tyger Pax. The other Autobots couldn't protect the youngling during the journey if the Decepticons found them and attacked. So, despite the risks involved with keeping 'Bee at the stronghold, he was still safer than if they tried to get him to another location. Jazz knew they had to wait.

"**Where are ya, lil fella? I've got some fresh energon waitin' fo' ya."**

"**Don't listen to 'im. He's just baitin' ya."**

Bumblebee giggled, trying not to be too loud and give away their location under a corner in Ironhide's living quarters.

"**You think he's going to find us, 'Hide?"**

"**No way he's gonna find us, 'Bee. That silly 'Bot ain't—"**

The vibrations of an explosion rocked their way through his systems, his panicked squeal escaping his voice capacitor. Ironhide wasted no time picking 'Bee up in his left arm and aiming with his right, his cannon prepared for any Decepticon unfortunate enough to lay optics on him.

"**Jazz, get your aft in 'ere!"**

Jazz arrived only a moment after hearing Ironhide's voice, the stronghold's alarm system blaring around them.

"**I'm 'ere. It must be a 'Con attack, 'Hide."**

"**I know. Get 'Bee out of 'ere, now!"**

Bumblebee found himself in Jazz's arms, the other Autobot running as fast as his legs would allow towards the nearest escape exit.

"**Ya just keep cool, 'Bee. I'll get ya outta 'ere."**

"**That will not happen, Autobot."**

Jazz cursed as Barricade entered through the same escape exit he was planning to use, the next one too far for him to make it. Jazz was faster, but Barricade was stronger. The halls had become too busy for him to make a run for it. The Decepticon's melee weapons spun and tore at Jazz's shield, the Autobot keeping Bumblebee out of the way in his left arm as his right struggled to keep Barricade at bay. He had to use his shield to keep Barricade's swiping hands from grabbing the whimpering youngling who had buried himself into Jazz's left shoulder.

"**For Primus' sake, Barricade, he's just a younglin'!"**

Jazz blasted heat and cold shots from his shield, but Barricade seemed relentless. He had to keep his shield moving almost constantly, the Decepticon circling, grabbing, and swinging vicious whirling blades that were slowly wearing away his protective shield. _'I gotta get 'im outta 'ere!'_ Before Jazz could think of a solution, though, Bumblebee's yelp caught his attention.

"**They're here…it's another bad one!"**

The youngling's cry came too late, the blast from behind him sending Bumblebee flying out of his left arm…and into Barricade's clutches. The black shock trooper ran back out the escape exit with the golden Autobot crying for help in his arms, struggling as much as he could to break free. Bumblebee saw the second Decepticon leap upon Jazz just before he lost sight of him, his cries for help no longer within hearing range of any Autobot. Barricade continued to run as the youngling continued to struggle, both of them stopping only when Megatron was in sight.

"**I do believe that is a youngling you are carrying, Barricade. I was sure there were none left."**

"**Jazz was trying to move him out of the stronghold when I entered. I retrieved him after Blackout arrived."**

"**I see…and just what is your name, little one?"**

The little Autobot was shaking, clutched tightly against Barricade's chest, too afraid to continue struggling.

"**My n-name is B-Bum-mblebee."**

Megatron leaned in closer to Bumblebee's face, the closing distance causing him to shake even harder.

"**Do you know who I am?"**

"**You…you're M-Megas…Megatron. You're in charge of th-the b-bad ones…"**

Megatron chuckled at the youngling's use of nicknames and immature vocabulary.

"**I am the leader of the **_**Decepticons**_**, or the 'bad ones', as you call us. Are you injured?"**

"**N-no."**

"**Barricade, take him back to the base. Don't put him in a holding cell; keep him with you. We'll keep him alive if he's useful."**

"**Yes, my lord."**

Barricade took off towards the Decepticon base, the youngling in his arms paralyzed with fear. Starscream, Bonecrusher, Blackout, and Brawl had already arrived, and though he wanted to avoid them, the moving body he was carrying caught Starscream's attention.

"**Barricade, what is that **_**thing**_** you are carrying?"**

He allowed Bumblebee to fall in the middle of the room, surrounded by Decepticons and still shaking from the terror that gripped the Autobot's spark. His fear was abated, however, when every mech in the room besides Barricade and Bumblebee stepped back in shock. Starscream fidgeted with one of his weapons, Brawl and Bonecrusher looked at each other in surprise, and Blackout stepped a bit closer, all of them speaking in the same order as their reactions.

"**You brought a **_**youngling**_** here?"**

"**I thought they were all gone…"**

"**Yeah, me too."**

"**What's your name?"**

Bumblebee's baby blue optics met Blackout's red ones as the Decepticon came close to inspect him. The difference in size caused Blackout to lean down, bending over the small body as Bumblebee answered.

"**My name's Bumblebee."**

Blackout looked at Barricade for a moment, who simply shrugged because he had nothing to say, before the youngling surprised them again.

"**So what are your names?"**

"**Starscream, not that it's any of your business."**

"**He's a youngling, Starscream, what'd you expect? Mine's Brawl."**

"**Bonecrusher here, and you can just ignore Starscream since everyone else does."**

"**My name is Blackout, youngling."**

Bumblebee looked at Barricade, though he wasn't really expecting an answer.

"**You already know my name."**

He nodded, his optics fixated on those that belonged to his kidnapper.

"**Your name is…Barricade."**

* * *

Present

Barricade's processor worked through the memory of his first meeting with Bumblebee, and he considered it strange that the youngling regarded him with such emotions. He wasn't sure why he remembered that moment so fondly, when the Autobot had said his name with the slightest amount of wonder and fear. He would never have asked Megatron for Bumblebee specifically if it weren't for what had happened…and the fact that he was just a _bit_ possessive. Bumblebee had become his long before the war ended…the golden youngling just wasn't aware of it.

* * *

Cybertron Decepticon Base, about 45,000 Earth years ago

Bumblebee soon met other Decepticons, like Shockwave, Frenzy, and Scorponok, but he learned quickly that staying near Barricade meant survival. Most of the other mechs were too impatient when dealing with his bubbly clicks to keep themselves from either blasting him to scrap or tearing him to pieces, so he kept himself occupied with whatever Barricade was doing. Barricade was not a kind mech, though, constantly beating various teachings into the little Autobot, forcing Bumblebee to call him 'master' and do small tasks like bringing him fresh energon. Barricade had to learn too, as more than once he found that being too rough with the youngling had more pitfalls than benefits. He had been lugging Bumblebee around for at least one Earth month after he captured him; he wasn't aware that he would be so affected by the youngling following him.

"**Um…Barricade…?"**

He quickly turned on Bumblebee, his red optics glowing with a quiet but threatening reprimand. The Autobot cowered and started rubbing his right arm, certainly remembering the last time he was punished for calling Barricade by his name. He was too young for any pride to overcome his fear, so he quickly corrected himself before his mistake could earn him another beating.

"**M-master…"**

Barricade relaxed his posture, letting the youngling know he had done well in correcting himself.

"**What is it?"**

Bumblebee fidgeted with his feet, tracing small circles on the floor while he continued to rub his right arm. He whimpered slightly when Barricade lowered his body to keep his optics at level with Bumblebee's, his larger form causing the Autobot to back away in fear. The Decepticon was already a bit more patient than the others, allowing the small mech the time needed to muster up enough courage to speak. Bumblebee put his hands on his chest, looking down at the floor as though it were interesting.

"**It hurts…it hurts a lot."**

Barricade scanned the small youngling for injuries, but his diagnostics indicated that there were none.

"**My scanners do not indicate that you are injured."**

"**I-it's not like that…"**

"**Then what are you speaking of?"**

"**I want…to go back…it hurts so much…"**

Before Barricade could recognize it, Bumblebee threw his head back and _wailed_. The sound was so sudden and piercing that Barricade stepped back from shock, watching the small Autobot let out a sound he thought would permanently damage his auditory system. Decepticons definitely had no patience or knowledge in dealing with younglings, and upon hearing the sound carry itself throughout the base, every mech whose auditory system could catch it was running into the room. Barricade and Bumblebee soon found themselves surrounded by Decepticons like Blackout, Shockwave, Brawl, Bonecrusher, Starscream, and even Scorponok and Frenzy. Only when Megatron's footsteps came pounding into the room did Bumblebee stop, the Decepticon leader looming over him as he sat crouched on the floor, his fear silencing him except for a few slight whimpers.

"**What was **_**that**_** all about, hmm? Care to explain yourself?"**

Bumblebee stood up, but he couldn't look Megatron in the optics. The difference in size made Megatron even more imposing, and his optics made Bumblebee feel awful.

"**H-hurts…a lot…"**

Younglings did not usually last long in the Decepticon army, their sparks and processors being too sensitive to handle the vicious cruelty and hatred that emanated from Megatron's followers. Megatron could already see the effects it was having on Bumblebee; younglings needed to play and socialize to function properly. Bumblebee had already lasted longer than the other younglings had ever lasted; they could put him to use in the future, but that would be impossible if the youngling overloaded from receiving too much at once.

"**Do something with him, Barricade. I don't care what it is as long as you keep him **_**quiet**_**."**

Megatron left with Starscream close behind him, leaving the rest of the Decepticons baffled as to what they needed to do next. Bumblebee looked just as confused, standing in the middle of a room full of clueless mechs with absolutely nothing to do. Scorponok, to the surprise of every mech, was the first to move, stopping right in front of the youngling. He started slowly swinging his tail in front of Bumblebee, the little Autobot optics soon fixated on the motion, until he decided to _grab_ it. Scorponok reached up to pull him off, but Bumblebee would raise his legs up out of Scorponok's reach over and over again. It was amusing to see the youngling's body swinging back and forth as his legs kicked and moved, trying to stay out of reach of Scorponok's desperate swipes, until Blackout determined it had gone far enough.

"**Scorponok, do not harm him. It is time for him to recharge."**

* * *

Present

Blackout was amused with Jazz's complaints and protests, the Autobot's struggles ignored as Blackout dropped Jazz in his quarters. He still remembered how Bumblebee gradually softened the sparks of even the most hardened Decepticons, especially Blackout himself. Jazz interrupted his silent musings, still irritated after their encounter with Barricade.

**"I know you know he's a younglin', so tell me somethin'. That 'Cade's gonna hurt 'im. If ya plannin' on doin' the same, then ya wrong."**

**"I don't **_**plan**_** on harming you. All harm you receive is dependent upon your behavior."**

**"Poor 'Bee and I ain't gonna be too well off if that's what ya think. He and I ain't gonna listen, and I won't let 'Cade hurt 'im again."**

**"Barricade will not harm the youngling. Their first encounter was indeed difficult, but that has changed."**

Jazz scoffed, unwilling to believe Blackout's information.

**"Nothin's changed. He's just as cruel now as he was then. Time ain't made a difference in 'im."**

Blackout slowly shook his head.

**"He **_**has**_** changed. He will not harm the youngling now."**

**"Ya say he won't, but what makes 'im so different from before?"**

**"He is no longer capable of causing Bumblebee harm."**

**"Not capable? 'Cade's capable of anythin'."**

Blackout walked closer to his Autobot, putting Jazz on edge as the Decepticon closed the distance between them.

**"Barricade is not capable of ripping out his own spark."**

* * *

Cybertron Decepticon Base, about 45,000 Earth years ago

Bumblebee ran yet another circle around Blackout, the larger Decepticon forced to watch the youngling as Barricade was ordered by Megatron to do carry out another attack on a small Autobot base. Megatron wanted the nuisance eliminated immediately, and Barricade's hunting skills were needed. Bumblebee, oblivious to the battle Barricade had entered, had decided to entertain himself with Blackout. He knew the mech didn't really mind; there wasn't much to do without Megatron or Starscream to give orders, and Blackout was less willing to blow him up than the other Decepticons that were left in the base. Blackout was sure some scheming mech had given the youngling one too many energon cubes in the many Earth hours he'd been watching the youngling; he had not seen Bumblebee so energetic in the three Earth months they had kept the little Autobot. _'I don't know how Barricade handles him, but I'm sure he's earned himself a few beatings.'_ He didn't want to hurt the golden mech if he didn't have to; he knew Barricade was vicious enough.

**"Blackout, can I have another energon cube?"**

The youngling was attached to his right leg, the baby blue optics silently begging him to grant his wish. Blackout didn't know if he could handle any more energy from Bumblebee.

**"No. You don't need any more than what you've already gotten."**

Bumblebee stomped on the floor, putting his hands on his hips for emphasis.

**"No fair. I'm **_**bored**_**."**

Blackout offered Bumblebee his right hand, the youngling tilting his head up at the large mech.

**"Go on. Take it."**

Bumblebee was scooped up just as he grabbed the hand, quickly thrown up into the air as he squealed in surprise. His surprise soon turned into delight as he was tossed up again, giggles joining squeals and laughter when he was caught. It went on that way until Barricade returned about two Earth hours later, unharmed except for a few minor gashes to his armature. Blackout watched as the youngling optics stared into Barricade's, both mechs still as he held the youngling up in his hands as he would just before tossing him. He put Bumblebee down, allowing the little Autobot to walk towards Barricade, small hands ghosting over gashes as bright optics looked on with concern.

**"Does it...hurt? It looks like it hurts."**

**"The pain is bearable. The Autobots are coming for the youngling, Blackout. We must be ready for an attack."**

**"I will inform Megatron immediately."**

The youngling was attached to his leg, still looking over his gashes with a mix of awe, fascination, and anxiety. A small part of him didn't want Bumblebee to let go; the concern was comforting, though Barricade would never admit it, even to himself.

**"Master?"**

He looked down at Bumblebee, wondering what else there could be to say.

**"What is it now?"**

Bright baby blue optics gazed up at him as small arms tightened their grip around his leg in a hug, a gesture Barricade could not remember ever receiving before.

**"I'm glad you're okay."**

* * *

Present

Prime sat miserably in Megatron's private quarters, all hopes of retrieving the Allspark lost from his spark. The Decepticon leader was careful always to keep the Allspark in his grasp to keep any Autobot, and even some Decepticons, from taking his long sought power away from him. Prime had no clue as to where the Allspark was kept when Megatron was around him; Megatron knew better than to have the life giving source around him. All of his fighting had ultimately led him to defeat, to slavery at the hands of a cruel, merciless tyrant. Bumblebee and all of his fellow Autobots were either being hunted down or enslaved under the rule of the Decepticons, forever forced to endure torture at their hands. _'It seems that despite the best of my efforts, I cannot keep our little one out of Barricade's reach.'_

* * *

Cybertron Decepticon Base, about 45,000 Earth years ago

After five Earth months of planning and gathering Autobots, Prime managed to penetrate the walls of the Decepticon base to save the last surviving youngling from corruption and possible destruction. He had chosen his best Autobots to go with him; Ironhide, Ratchet, and Jazz were to personally accompany him to Bumblebee's location. The other Autobots were to try and keep the many Decepticons busy, and take them out if possible, while they searched for the small mech throughout the halls of the fairly large base. Finally Jazz heard Bumblebee's cries from inside of a wrecked room; Ratchet quickly came to the conclusion that the room had collapsed from stray gunfire.

**"Hey 'Bee, it's Jazz! We're comin' to get ya little buddy, ya just hold on!"**

Ratchet cut his way through torn metal to reveal a slightly battered but intact youngling, slightly quivering from the shock and fear of intense battle and danger.

**"Optimus, it's you! I...I thought I'd never see you again..."**

Prime picked up the small golden mech, soothing Bumblebee with his touch and voice as he held the youngling in his arms.

**"I will always protect you, Bumblebee. We all will. Now, we must go. We cannot stay and fight them all off."**

He gave Bumblebee to Ratchet, the other Autobots needed to battle their way out of the base. Gunfire sprayed everywhere, Ratchet careful to keep the youngling protected from any damage.

**"Optimus, we have to find 'Cade. I haven't seen him, and he could be really hurt!"**

Jazz looked confused as they continued to fight their way through the Decepticon ranks.

**"I ain't never heard of a 'Bot by that name, 'Bee. Who ya talkin' about?"**

Bumblebee vigorously shook his head, becoming more anxious as time passed.

**"We **_**have**_** to find him. We can't just leave him here!"**

Prime silenced the little Autobot, not willing to spend precious time looking for a mech they knew nothing about.

**"We don't have time to find him, Bumblebee. We must leave immediately."**

They were coming close to leaving when they passed an unexpected sight; Barricade was severely damaged, and Bumblebee started to scream after laying optics upon the gruesome sight. Ratchet was caught by surprise as the youngling struggled to break free of his grasp, having stayed quiet and still until that moment.

**"****Optimus, that's him! We have to help 'Cade!"**

Ratchet let out a frustrated grumble as he let Bumblebee run over to Barricade's side.

**"He calls him 'Cade, as in Barricade. He looks like he's close to offlining...for good."**

**"You **_**have**_** to help him. He's hurt real bad...we can' just leave him here! Optimus, come on!"**

Prime turned to his medical officer, Ratchet, for advice. Personally, he didn't believe in allowing any mechs to die, but Barricade was still a Decepticon who had hurt Bumblebee, and they still had to leave the base before more Decepticons arrived.

**"You know what to do, Ratchet. We must leave quickly."**

**"Optimus, he's a **_**Decepticon**_**. We shouldn't be **_**helping**_** him at all!"**

**"Ironhide, Ratchet knows what is best in this situation."**

Ratchet shook his head and picked up Barricade after Ironhide got a hold of Bumblebee, following close behind Prime as they made their way out of the base and into the depths of Cybertron.

**"Ratchet, how could ya help 'im? We wouldn't be 'ere if it weren't for that 'Con in the first place!"**

**"Jazz, we have no choice but to help him if we want to save Bumblebee from damage even **_**I**_** can't repair."**

The Autobots then continued on in silence until they reached Tyger Pax, Ky-Alexa already having fallen to the Decepticons when Bumblebee was taken. Jazz had barely made it out alive, and Ironhide was left with a very long hit list of Decepticons to blow to bits. Ratchet got to work on fixing Barricade and fighting to keep him from going offline, which Ratchet wasn't sure he could do. Prime entered the room to speak to him quickly as Ratchet needed concentration to save the Decepticon's spark, and Ironhide was kept busy with a wailing Bumblebee that insisted on entering the room with Prime.

**"Ratchet, I know you made the best decision you could considering the circumstances surrounding Bumblebee's rescue, but I still need to know why you chose to try saving Barricade when we had already obtained Bumblebee."**

Prime did not push for an answer, knowing that Ratchet was still busy trying to stabilize the Decepticon. The medic took no breaks and no pauses, giving no time for a fatal mistake or error to take place on his table. He never looked up as he worked, but his answer came slowly to the Autobot leader.

**"Do you know what System Dependency is?"**

Prime knew what System Dependency was. The humans even had an equivalent to the condition called Stockholm Syndrome. A youngling's processor could only take so much information in at once, especially torture to the mech's systems. Once the youngling's processor reached its limit, its systems worked to find a solution; dependency on the support of another mech was usually the result. The youngling's systems would reach out for the nearest mech in order to relieve the processor of excess information, torture, pain, and anything else seen as a deficiency by the youngling's systems.

**"Yes, I do. Is that what you were suspecting?"**

**"Yes. Bumblebee, after being in the Decepticon's grasp for so long, must have had his systems come into this condition in order to deal with his situation. I don't know what Barricade did to him, but it was enough to cause Bumblebee to develop System Dependency."**

**"How can you be sure of this?"**

**"Optimus, he refuses to leave Barricade's side for even a moment, and no amount of reasoning will convince him to do otherwise. He called Barricade his master, for Primus' sake, and Barricade's safety is the only thing that matters to him now. He doesn't care what the Decepticon did to him; it's like Barricade has become his whole world."**

System Dependency wasn't unusual among younglings, but Prime knew how harmful it could be when developed around a Decepticon. Older mechs were not immune to the condition, and it was not easy to get rid of.

**"If Barricade goes offline, it will damage Bumblebee beyond what I can repair, Optimus. A body I can fix, but a spark..."**

**"I have faith in your abilities, Ratchet. I know you'll do the best you can to help him. Bumblebee would like to see how Barricade is doing."**

**"He can as long as he doesn't interfere."**

Bumblebee had been fighting Ironhide's hold since they arrived at Tyger Pax, demanding that he be allowed to see the Decepticon currently in Ratchet's care. Only when Prime said it was okay did Ironhide let go, and with plenty of reluctance. He still insisted on watching the youngling with Jazz; better to have them all watching Bumblebee with Barricade around. The golden Autobot ran to Barricade's side, his optics barely looking over the top of the table to see the shock trooper's flickering optics. The black Decepticon's left arm hung loosely over the edge of the table, the younger mech holding onto it as he watched Ratchet work. A timid voice startled all of the Autobots in the room, breaking the eerie tension that sometimes accompanied the sounds of Ratchet's tools.

**"Master...can you hear me?"**

Jazz saw Barricade's left hand twitch just before the Decepticon spoke, causing every mech except Ratchet to look at the black mech's face.

**"My auditory system is still functional, youngling."**

**"Are you going to be okay?"**

Barricade's optics flickered again, taking longer and longer each time to come back on. Ratchet called for Wheeljack, the only other Autobot that could help him keep Barricade functioning. He couldn't help but think that he knew what the outcome would be; the Decepticon was so badly damaged, he was almost sure that Barricade wouldn't last much longer. Knowing that the Decepticon was probably going to go offline still didn't prepare Ratchet and Wheeljack for it; Barricade's left arm reached out towards the youngling, a slow word creeping out of his voice capacitor.

**"Bumblebee..."**

Prime picked up Bumblebee as the youngling reached out with both arms for Barricade, the Decepticons red optics flickering off with a mechanical hum.

**"Primus, he's offlining! Wheeljack, hurry!"**

The golden Autobot cried out as Barricade's left arm collapsed against the table, hanging limply over the side. Ratchet could see that, one by one, Barricade's systems were starting to shut down...for good. His body had become still and cold; it was a sight even Ironhide with his temper wasn't glad to see. The old, battle hardened mech's spark ached as he listened to Bumblebee's pain filled cries, the Autobots all backing away from the table except Prime. He put Bumblebee down as the youngling gently gripped one of Barricade's limp fingers as though he were trying to pull the Decepticon to him.

**"Is he...gone? He can't be gone...no...you need to **_**stay**_**, Master...please..."**

Prime helped Bumblebee climb onto the table, unsure as the other Autobots were as to what he could do to comfort the youngling. Barricade's systems were still shutting down, his spark fading until Bumblebee could barely see the light of it shining through. He looked down at where the Decepticon's optics should have been red, where an angry glare should have been waiting for him.

**"We're always supposed to stay together, remember? You're supposed to watch me..."**

Jazz and Wheeljack were the first to turn their heads away; the quiet, affectionate voice of the youngling was tearing at their sparks.

**"...under Megatron's orders. You **_**never**_** go against Megatron's orders; it's not like you. How are you supposed to follow Megatron's orders and watch me if you leave?"**

Ratchet could only look down at the fading mech's body, unable to look at the suffering Autobot. He had seen more than enough deaths in his time, but to just hear the youngling's desperation was too much.

**"I can't follow you where you're going..."**

The small, golden body wrapped itself around Barricade's head and shoulders, shaking terribly as Bumblebee spoke.

**"...so come **_**back**_**."**

Every mech including Bumblebee jumped as Barricade's optics flared, shining with an intensity like Prime had not seen in eons. The light of the Decepticon's spark shone beneath Bumblebee's body as Barricade's systems and machinery hummed with life. His left arm was no longer dangling over the side of the table; instead, it came to wrap itself around the small Autobot still hugging him. The youngling gazed in relief at the shock trooper, unable to find the right words to express himself. He settled for a smile and giggled, his happiness too great to hold in.

**"Hi!"**

Barricade's optics blinked quickly, his face missing its usual ruthless expression, and Jazz was willing to bet he had never heard Barricade's voice sound as soft and purposely slow as it did then.

**"Hello little one."**

* * *

Present

Bumblebee let out a few clicks at the memory, not sure whether it was fond or something totally different. He had found himself grateful that Barricade had made it; the other Autobots were relieved as well, though he was sure that Ironhide would shoot anyone who dared to say so. He continued to wait for Barricade's return, silently thankful that Primus was a bit pushy when it came to binding fates together. He was still angry, still scared and nervous at the seemingly inevitable future of the Autobot army, but he found himself strangely content with his past. Barricade had left, had gone back to the Decepticon army to fight against him in the future, but Bumblebee always had the nerve to think that they were never enemies afterwards. They were two mechs on opposite sides in a war, both longing for something they didn't know and were too afraid to find out, and Bumblebee promised himself that the next time they saw each other, they would stop acting like sparklings and face the shared fate Primus had given them.

**Mazuiko**: YES! I'm finally done with this chapter. Just a quick note for readers: I made it so that a mech isn't his full size when created, so Bumblebee was not his full size when Barricade snatched him up. It just doesn't make sense to me to have Megatron running around at thirty-five feet tall when he was a youngling. Can you imagine the mechs watching him having to deal with him at full size? I can't, so I made it that younglings start off small, then grow to whatever size they're made to grow to. To survive a war, they need to heal, and if they can heal, they can grow. Don't kill me guys, cause the next chapter has what you want: Megatron/Optimus Prime! Woot! On to chapter 5!!!


	5. Not Just A Memory

**Mazuiko**: Hello, everyone! This chapter's got some good old Megatron/Optimus in it, looking at their relationship now and how it was before the war. A reviewer said Prime was already partially broken...you were right. Prime's definitely the closest, so he gets robot loving first. Bumblebee is not broken yet, but I decided to put some past anguish in there to help him along. Betrayal, failure, and guilt make for a very vulnerable Prime. I'm using the official movie guide to determine Power Levels (which go 1-5), so the Power Levels in the guide are as follows.

Megatron: 5

Prime: 5 (duh)

Ratchet: 4

Barricade: 3

Bumblebee: 2

Blackout: 2

Jazz: 2

Scorponok: 2

Frenzy: 1

Ironhide: Not in guide, but _definitely_ a 4

Starscream: Not in guide, but 4 seems reasonable (second-in-command, so it makes sense)

giggles I LOVE this fic, so on it goes!

_**Not Just A Memory**_

Present

Prime was led by Megatron down the torn streets of Cybertron, their once beautiful home planet. Megatron had informed him of what plans were taking place; the destruction of the human race, the creation of a new Decepticon army, and the restoration of Cybertron. Every Autobot that Prime had come across on the street was working on repairs of every sort. Some Decepticons were barking orders, but to Prime's delight many of them were assisting of their own free will. There was no question that many of the Autobots and Decepticons had been friends and lovers before the war; most of them were going back to their old way of life, working together and trying to keep the peace among them. However, Prime was also very aware of the Decepticons that were abusive, taking every opportunity they could to hurt the Autobots that were given to them. Megatron had been a wise ruler before the war, and Prime could tell that he hadn't lost his touch; the Autobots were only given to Decepticons that had more power than they did in order to keep them in line. That meant only Megatron could have Prime; any other Decepticon would be quickly turned into scrap metal. Megatron had no interest in correcting the abusive mechs; the Autobots were considered property under the new Cybertronian laws, and property didn't have rights.

**"They are being hurt, Megatron. That is why they won't listen; they know the Decepticons hate them. They understand that they have lost the war; they only want to be treated better than they are."**

**"Do you think I **_**care**_** what they want, Prime? You defied me; therefore, every mech that followed you also defied me. I have never tolerated defiance and never will; perhaps now you see the consequences for those who are against me."**

Prime was taken back to Megatron's private quarters after being allowed to see how Tyger Pax was being rebuilt. The knowledge that life was returning to Cybertron soothed him enough to keep him out of what the humans called a 'depression', and he didn't need to weigh himself down with guilt when the least he could do was try to protect the Autobots that were left.

**"I never thought of you as being capable of such cruelty before the war, Megatron."**

Megatron stood at the edge of his metallic bed and laughed, the sound twisting Prime's spark.

**"Of course you didn't. I did say you are a fool, didn't I? Before the war, though, I never would have thought of you as being one. A little too soft, maybe, but not a fool. It only hurts you to care so much."**

Prime sat in a chair, trying to be as far from Megatron as possible, and slowly shook his head.

**"No, it does not only cause me pain. It brings me joy to see some of the Autobots and Decepticons letting go of their hate, to see them become what they were before all of the fighting and the death. It is only seeing those that wish to harm others doing so that pains me; my friends are suffering under the cruel hands of what you call their 'masters', Decepticons who show no mercy or remorse for what they do to defenseless Autobots. It does not pain me to care for them; it pains me to see them suffer, Megatron."**

His voice had become softer and quieter until Megatron barely picked it up, Prime's optics filled with sadness, pain, and guilt.

**"Our loss of the war and our freedom is enough, yet now we must struggle through pain inflicted upon us by your followers...by you."**

**"You didn't expect things to go back to the way they were before the war, did you?"**

**"The only differences now are tyranny and enslavement!"**

Megatron had walked up behind him, the leader's hands now placed upon his shoulders to keep him from trying to get up.

**"Not exactly."**

* * *

Cybertron, before the war

Prime had taken Megatron's place in overseeing construction in one of his sectors, absolutely begging Megatron to take a break from his duties. The Lord High Protector of Cybertron was too uptight sometimes, and Prime decided that a little work would be good since he had been handling the lighter duties lately. He was standing on one of the larger beams with another mech when he heard it; what was only a slight creaking sound soon became louder...a sign that one of the beams was about to collapse. _'It can't hold the both of us. I must be too heavy for it to handle!'_ He grabbed and threw the other mech onto a safe platform before he had time to really think it through in his processor, and Cybertron's gravity took over. Scrap metal and beams filled his vision, the voice of a concerned mech reaching his auditory system as he plummeted down into one of the many crevices of their planet.

**"Optimus! Optimus Prime, can you hear me?"**

He could hear them, but he could not see anyone or anything. There was no light; Prime safely guessed that he was underneath the metal he had seen earlier. He couldn't see his condition, but his systems were reporting energon leaks and musculature damage. _'It must have been caused by either the impact of the fall or the beams.'_ He could move, but his musculature wasn't working correctly; try as he might, he could not push the beams away from him.

**"I'm alright!"**

**"We're going to get Lord Megatron and Ratchet immediately, Optimus!"**

**"He's pretty far down. We'll need to get some fliers to help us."**

He ignored the pain in his arms and legs as he pushed against the beams, moving them enough to allow some light into the enclosure he was in. _'How far down am I?'_ He saw Megatron coming down in his jet mode, transforming quickly and tossing metal aside as the keeper of Cybertron's laws took in Prime's condition.

**"Did I not say that this could happen? Why must you insist on relieving me of my duties temporarily if you won't listen to what I tell you?"**

Prime laughed, Megatron's scolding calming even when accompanied by his stern tone.

**"You must not worry about me so much, friend. My injuries are minor, and I was listening to you just fine. I simply wasn't aware that my weight was too much for the structure."**

**"If I had been here, you would have been perfectly aware of that important detail."**

He laughed again; Megatron had always insisted that he watch over the details of his work. He tried to stand and lean on Megatron for support, but his leg musculature was more damaged than he had first expected; his legs gave way and he collapsed, Megatron catching him by the waist. Prime smiled innocently as his arms and legs went limp, letting himself be carried in the strong arms of his fellow ruler.

**"Are you certain your injuries are as minor as you said?"**

**"It's nothing life threatening, Megatron. I'll be fine."**

Prime couldn't help the thoughts making their way into his processor as Megatron carried him to the nearest medical bay, Ratcet having been called in simply because he was Optimus Prime. Megatron's body was warm, his spark radiating heat against Prime's. He did his best to keep his optics to himself, but he knew Megatron had an idea of Prime's love for him. He kept his feelings hidden, no matter how much Megatron tried to pry, but it was getting harder to be around Megatron without letting them show. Ratchet quickly fixed the few injuries he had, stopping the energon leaks and repairing his musculature. When Prime had returned to proper working order, Megatron offered to escort him to his quarters.

**"I hope this is no trouble for you."**

**"Oh, it's no trouble at all. There is actually something I would like to discuss with you when we arrive."**

**"Is something wrong?"**

**"No, it's nothing...wrong. I just wanted to ask you something, that's all."**

They soon arrived at Prime's quarters, both making themselves comfortable in seats before Megatron proceeded.

**"Optimus Prime, is there something you've been wanting to tell me?"**

Prime could hear the tone; it was the tone Megatron used when he meant business, and the use of his entire name was enough to shake him. He couldn't tell Megatron no; he was a terrible liar, and it wasn't like him to lie to anyone.

**"It is not something I wish to discuss, Megatron."**

**"Normally I would let it go, Prime, but when it interferes with your performance as a ruler and our relationship, I must confront it."**

There was no denying that his feelings were starting to interfere with just about everything; it was almost impossible to act normally with Megatron around, which was literally all the time since they ruled together.

**"When's the last time you actually looked me in the optics, Prime? You've been behaving strangely, and I'm starting to think you're avoiding me."**

**"I haven't meant to."**

**"Look me in the optics and say that again."**

Megatron had him there; Prime would never look Megatron in the optics and lie.

**"Optimus Prime, may I ask you a serious question?"**

He nodded, still unwilling to look at Megatron directly. He looked down at the floor to try avoiding Megatron's gaze, and an awkward moment passed in silence before Megatron spoke again.

**"Are you in love with me?"**

* * *

Present

The same hands that were keeping him seated had started massaging his shoulders and upper back, his will to try getting away completely gone.

**"You've never been good at hiding it, Prime. I knew long before you admitted to it."**

Prime pulled his shoulders forward, trying to halt the motions of the hands holding him back, but Megatron's grip was strong. He gave up quickly, but the moment he stopped struggling Megatron pulled him up and rolled them both over onto the floor. Prime fought to get the Decepticon leader off of him.

**"Why do you insist on continuing to fight me?"**

**"Why do **_**you**_** insist on doing this to me, Megatron? Even after my defeat you continue to exploit my weaknesses and torture me in every manner possible, always leaving me with nothing."**

Megatron had him pinned, powerful hands keeping punches at bay. Prime's weapons were offline, like every other Autobot, and without his arms there was nothing he could do.

**"There's no punishment when there's no disobedience. It's time for you to stop fighting and allow your fate to take its course."**

His optics were filled with anger and fear, uncertainty tainting his thoughts and feelings. He was motionless, held down by a force too powerful for him to fight. His voice was quiet, slow, and unusually timid, seeming meek against the power that was Megatron.

**"I can't just let it go."**

**"Letting it go comes later. For now, all I'm asking of you is that you obey me."**

It felt like too much to Prime, and his emotions were making his spark go crazy. He didn't want to rely on his own perspective anymore, his spark's longings overriding his processor. He allowed Megatron's presence to fill him, to overwhelm him with sadistic, dangerous things he had always been afraid to feel. The need to obey was sickening and yet satisfying to him; he wanted Megatron to exploit it and command him, use him in ways he didn't know how to beg for. He stayed silent, Megatron's hands releasing him to place themselves at Prime's sides, both mechs waiting...until they both became lost in each other. They wrestled in quick and unchecked abandon, Prime silently begging to be put into submission, Megatron's nature demanding that he oblige. Domination had to be met with submission, commands with obedience, sadism with masochism, conquest with surrender; he found himself blissfully lost within the tainted love that was theirs, Megatron's fingers tearing at his armature and causing wanted pain. He felt pleasure as Megatron slammed his back onto the ground for the last time and took liberty in touching him, his attempts to pull away or fight back completely ignored. He found out, as Megatron's chest came closer to his own, that he had no more pride in him. There were no personal wants; there was just Megatron and his pleasure. Prime's hands wandered up and down the larger mech's back to please him, to grant the tyrant the sadistic control Prime knew he wanted, and there was no hesitation in opening his spark casing to allow Megatron his conquest, to surrender his spark at last. There was no need for words or actions, their sparks already sure of the eternal bond between them as they overloaded, crying out together every withheld emotion that burned intensely between them. When Prime could see again, Megatron was looking down at him with optics that mesmerized him, keeping him calm as their sparks retreated into their casings.

**"You are never to forget that you are mine, Prime."**

He started letting himself go into recharge, his spark oddly content with the words that formed his first order from Megatron.

**"Yes, Lord Megatron."**

**Mazuiko**: Optimus, nooooooooo, don't do it!!! Lol. Alright, people, you can't expect every chapter to be as long as chapter 4 was. That thing tried to KILL me. I've never written spark smex before, so don't try to kill me like that chapter did. Yes, it is possible for Prime to have accidents and yes, he is capable of: losing, giving up, liking pain, being obedient, etc. On to chapter 6...as always, if there's any questions or OOCness, feel free to let me know.


	6. A Possession of Heat

**Mazuiko**: Alright, guys, I'm aiming for a chapter length between chapters 4 and 5. I'll try to average it about there from now on. Yes, there will be torture and punishment. The shock still hasn't worn off yet, so the Autobots have yet to actually _feel _the full force of any commands they wouldn't want to obey and the consequences of not obeying those commands. Bumblebee is stubborn, inexperienced, and the youngest, so he'll be getting the biggest portion of it, especially in chapter 7. There's a small inkling of Blackout/Jazz here since Jazz is currently the farthest of all the pairings from being broken or admitting to being in love, and we get some information as to the fates of Ratchet and Ironhide (yes, I still love them). Here's an important tip to help you guys out since some aren't getting it: the mechs in these pairings **already** love each other. That's why there's flashbacks; they're there to show you how it happened and why each Decepticon asked for a certain Autobot (possessive much?). I hope you guys enjoy this chapter since you certainly deserve to. This story's place among all four that I've written is as follows (at the time I post this chapter):

Words: 1st

Chapters: Tied for 1st

Reviews: 1st

Hits: 2nd

C2s: 4th

Favorites: 1st

Alerts: 1st

_**A Possession of Heat**_

Present

Jazz found himself not only doing something useful, but something he enjoyed; he was helping to restore Cybertron to its condition before the war. His job, under Blackout's watch, was to bond the beams together with lasers and bolts. His small size was useful in getting to tight spots, and the structure could take his weight much more easily than it could Blackout's. Jazz was a bit angry, tense, and irritated when it came to the large Decepticon, but Blackout took it with patient perseverance, never returning the Autobot's rage. Jazz tried his hardest not to care; he just hated the fact that it wasn't working. Blackout slowly approached him as he melded yet another two beams together; the Autobot was getting a bit impatient with Blackout, and the Decepticon did what he could to avoid any unnecessary arguments.

**"What do ya want now? Can't ya see I'm workin' 'ere?"**

Blackout laughed. Jazz was amusing to him, and Blackout sometimes stood near him just to get him to talk.

**"Yes, I can see that you are working. When you are finished with the beams in this sector, you must begin with the beams in the center sectors and assist in reconstructing the transportation networks."**

**"Do ya have a single clue as to how long I'm gonna be workin' on these beams? I ain't got time to be chattin' with ya, got it? I already said--Ahh!!**

Jazz had been paying so much attention talking to Blackout that he didn't notice the other mech near him turn around while carrying a small beam, knocking him off the large beam he was standing on as he was hit in the head, falling right into Blackout's arms. The Decepticon had noticed the other mech just before Jazz was hit, so he was able to get into place to catch the small Autobot.

**"Are you alright?"**

**"Ah slag...yeah, I think so."**

**"You appear to be in pain. I will take you to the medical bay."**

**"I'm fine, it just hurts a lot."**

Jazz gripped his head with his left hand as he tried to stabilize himself against Blackout's chest with his right hand. He was delighted to see Ratchet at the medical bay when he arrived, eager to talk to a mech that wasn't a Decepticon.

**"Ratchet, how's it going'? What 'Con did ya get stuck with?"**

**"From what I can see, I'll be seeing you quite a bit, and I didn't get stuck with any Decepticon. My usefulness as a medic got me stuck here in the bay, so I just repair brawling Decepticons and Autobots who can't keep themselves out of trouble."**

**"You mean Autobots like me, eh? I don't blame ya. I'm just glad ya didn't get stuck with one of 'em 'Cons. Hey, where's 'Hide? I ain't seen 'im."**

**"He's handling some of the heavier work near the center of Tyger Pax. I don't know what Decepticon he's with, but I heard the Decepticon's built heavy and is not one you would have wanted to see while scouting alone."**

**"It takes a mean 'Con to try and handle 'Hide, Ratchet."**

**"I would know. Alright, tell me what happened for you to get such a dent in your head."**

**"I was workin' down near the edge of the city and talkin' to Blackout when some mech clunks me with a beam. Slag, Ratchet, it hurt!"**

**"I'm sure it did. Did you suffer any injuries that you know of from the fall?"**

**"I never hit the ground."**

Ratchet's expression begged for an explanation, but Jazz was hesitant to admit that he had been helped by a Decepticon.

**"Blackout caught me."**

The medic looked at the large Decepticon standing on the other side of the table, but Blackout made no move to speak.

"**You **_**caught**_** him? I'm surprised you even noticed."**

"**Then it will surprise you that I will not allow him to come to harm."**

* * *

Artemis I, about 35,000 Earth years ago

"**I'm not going into recharge! No, no, no!"**

Jazz tried to stay calm as Bumblebee wiggled in his arms; the Autobot leader on the other side of the office quietly smiled at the amusing sight. The youngling had grown into the equivalent of a human eight year old, and was just as fussy and unbearably loud when being put into recharge. Autobot after Autobot had tried to succeed, but Prime's office was just filling up as Sideswipe, Wheeljack, Sunstreaker, Hoist, Hound, and Ratchet came complaining about the rising noise. Things weren't helped when Ironhide came in to report a captured Decepticon he had brought with him.

"**Things ain't exactly shinin' 'ere, 'Hide. I'm sure we've tried everything to get 'Bee to go into recharge."**

"**I'd help, but I can't exactly leave our new 'friend' here unattended."**

"**Ironhide, what Decepticon have you brought with you?"**

"**Barricade, after I busted 'im up a bit, of course. Get your aft in 'ere!"**

All movement ceased, including Bumblebee's struggles, as the battered Decepticon grumbled his way into Prime's office. Every Autobot's gaze was filled with expectation and caution, as though Barricade would simply blow up the room at any moment in time. Bumblebee, however, gazed at the mech with a mixture of awe and surprise, and Ironhide was troubled to see that delight had joined the mixture as well. The golden Autobot started to wiggle again as he tried to free himself of Jazz's grasp.

"**Put me down, Jazz! I want to go down!"**

Prime nodded and Jazz put the youngling down on the floor, watching just as carefully as the other Autobots in the room as Bumblebee glanced up at the Decepticon shock trooper. The youngling's optics became very bright as he walked closer; he was completely unaware of how ready his caretakers were to blast Barricade to pieces.

"**Master, you're back?"**

Every Autobot mouth besides Bumblebee's dropped open in shock at his words, but he only raised his hands up when he was close enough. Barricade picked him up without a word, the only sound being the humming telling of Bumblebee's need to recharge. The Decepticon waited until Bumblebee had become comfortable with his head on Barricade's shoulder and his arms wrapped around Barricade's neck to speak.

"**Yes, I am, and you need to recharge."**

Jaws hit the floor as several auditory systems picked up the commanding yet soft tone of Barricade's voice when he spoke to the youngling, ignoring every other mech around him.

"**Oh…okay then."**

They could all hear Bumblebee clicking as he went into recharge, his body curled into Barricade's chest and arms. Their jaws hadn't closed yet, and silence followed until Ironhide forced himself to move on with business.

"**Optimus, we need to put Barricade into a holding cell, and it's about time someone went on down to speak to Blackout. You want me to talk to him?"**

Prime quickly shut his jaw at the sound of Ironhide's voice and shook his head.

"**No, it would be better if Jazz spoke to Blackout. He might respond better when he **_**doesn't**_** have cannons aimed at his spark."**

Prime shot a glance at Ironhide as the old mech shrugged, seemingly unfazed by the Autobot leader's disapproval.

"**Jazz, I want you to talk to Blackout. Perhaps you will have more success than Ironhide and Ratchet did."**

Jazz would have protested if Prime had not been wearing an expression that allowed no room for argument. Barricade reluctantly gave a recharging Bumblebee to Prime, and was led to a holding cell near Blackout's by Jazz and Ironhide. The old mech wasn't comfortable with leaving Jazz alone to interrogate Blackout, so he hid around a corner and acted like he left, completely unwilling to leave their conversation unheard. Jazz approached Blackout's cell cautiously, the large Decepticon looking down at him as though he were studying something of interest or importance.

"**Yet another Autobot comes to question me. Have the others given up already?"**

"**I'm the one askin' the questions, ya big pile o' scrap. Why did ya come so close to our base, and all by yourself?"**

"**Why did they send you down here to ask me these questions?"**

Jazz rolled his optics at Blackout's question.

"**Answer the question already."**

Blackout let out a deep chuckle, and Jazz shivered enough to wish his auditory system wasn't so sensitive.

"**You're so…impersonal. You Autobots claim to not be afraid, yet you stay at such a distance from me."**

'_I need to stay calm…he's only trying to distract me.' _Jazz thought to himself. He knew how Decepticons tried to avoid interrogations; they tried to turn them around and interrogate the Autobots instead. Decepticons were liars, deceptive and willing to hurt any that got in their way.

"**Answer the question."**

Blackout's optics glanced over Jazz's body, scanning the Autobot's condition. Jazz could feel it, and it made him wonder why Blackout would do such a thing in his situation.

"**You need to recharge, Autobot, but you insist on staying around to question me. Maybe there are other questions you would like to ask me."**

"_**Answer. The. Question.**_**"**

"**I am not going to answer your question, though I am sure you have several of your own to ask me."**

Jazz was normally calm and collected, but having been unable to recharge because of Bumblebee's erratic behavior made him irritable.

"**Why would I have any questions to ask ya, Blackout?"**

Blackout came as close as he could to the bars of his cell, but Jazz made the mistake of taking no notice.

"**We are enemies…but to this moment, none of your injuries have ever occurred because of me."**

Jazz was aware of the truth in Blackout's statement. All the misses, the extremely poor aim Blackout seemed to have around him…it made Jazz suspicious at times, but he had never thought to actually ask why such coincidences kept happening. Jazz enjoyed denying it by calling it fate; he always told himself that he should have been grateful for all the times he had nearly died, only to have Blackout be in front of him to take a shot or choose not to shoot him. _'It never made any sense. What Decepticon passes up the chance to take out an Autobot, over and over again?'_

"**I do have questions, but I can't—hey!"**

Jazz regretted stepping towards the cell and not considering Blackout's position to his own immediately after the Decepticon grabbed his arm and yanked him against the bars, two big hands pinning his arms to his body and holding him with tremendous force. Jazz wasn't strong enough to break free, but he struggled and almost called for help until Blackout spoke.

"**You don't need to call them. I won't harm you."**

Ironhide was still listening to their conversation in hiding, but he had taken his cannons out the moment Blackout had grabbed Jazz. He couldn't blast Blackout, though. His cannons were too powerful to blast Blackout without causing severe injury to Jazz, and Ironhide couldn't run up to get the other Autobots. Moving at all would cause noise, and he was sure that Blackout would simply crush Jazz the moment any of them pointed a weapon at the large mech.

"**Let go! I call 'em, and ya gonna be dead. Ironhide will blast ya to pieces!"**

"**What is the point of calling them for help when they cannot help you? I can crush you in an instant; I cannot go back to my base, so I might as well take an Autobot with me to death."**

Jazz stopped struggling quickly, and Ironhide had to use all the restraint he had not to blast Blackout at that moment. It was hard for Ironhide to hide at all; he wasn't the size of Jazz or Bumblebee. He stayed around the corner and listened, waiting for any sign of attack from the large Decepticon. Jazz was still, weighing his options and trying to find a solution to his predicament.

"**What do ya want?"**

Blackout squeezed Jazz quite intensely, and the pained groan that came from the small Autobot caused Ironhide to glance over.

"**I only want to show you why I have let you live."**

Ironhide was startled at Blackout's words. _'He let Jazz live? When did he do that…and why? Decepticons don't do that. They just __**don't**__.'_ The surprise awaiting both Ironhide and Jazz was larger than any previous action from the Decepticon. Blackout went from still to active quicker than either Autobot had previously thought him capable. Jazz was pinned down to the floor in front of Blackout's cell, squirming and kicking as the Decepticon's hands roughly explored his entire body. Ironhide was shocked at the action and wondering why they hadn't seen him; his entire body was around the corner and his mouth was a gaping hole trying to release words that would not leave him. He brought himself back to keep from being seen, but couldn't resist sneaking glances as Jazz's struggles lessened considerably and Blackout rubbed their heads together. Jazz's hands had been freed and were clawing at Blackout's armor, Jazz being unsure as to whether he wanted to pull Blackout closer or try to push him away. The small Autobot was kept as close as possible to the cell's bars, and Blackout made good use of his head and hands since he couldn't get any closer. After what felt like an eternity of struggles to Ironhide, Blackout dropped Jazz on his knees as quickly as he had started except for keeping one hand on Jazz's arm as the Autobot tried to pull away. Jazz was shaking, but Ironhide could think of a myriad of things that could have caused it.

"**I can't believe I just…it won't work…we can't do this! This won't happen again…"**

Blackout pulled Jazz up onto his feet.

"**It **_**will **_**happen again."**

"**Blackout, this war—"**

"**It will end, and when it does, I shall have you."**

Ironhide saw Prime at the top of the stairs, ready to come down to check on what was supposed to be an interrogation. He stopped Prime with a quick hand motion and put a finger up to his mouth to quiet Prime quickly. The Autobot leader cocked his head and snuck down the stairs while Ironhide pointed to his eyes, then pointed around the corner. He put out an arm to stop Prime from walking around the corner, and the larger Autobot's face became covered with shock as he glanced around with Ironhide, his eyes asking too many questions for Ironhide to answer. He shrugged with an angry expression and put another finger to his mouth to silence them both as they watched the unusual scenario taking place before them.

"**I'll just be askin' more questions until then…I'll still be confused and wonderin' about ya."**

"**I will still be wanting, Autobot. You are full of heat, warmth I long to have with me. I will not be denied."**

Jazz was released and backed himself up against the wall, letting out a low sigh.

"**I'm not in love with no 'Con. It just doesn't happen."**

Blackout let out a low, deep chuckle that Jazz unwillingly enjoyed hearing.

"**Your denial is almost as bad as Barricade's."**

Prime, Ironhide, and Jazz all had open mouths at that point, each Autobot frozen still unlike the laughing Decepticon in the cell. Prime made stepping sounds quickly and announced his presence.

"**Jazz, were you successful?"**

"**No…he didn't say anythin'."**

Ironhide huffed at the obvious lie, but Jazz had no clue as to why Ironhide was so critical of him. Prime stopped the weapons specialist before he could start.

"**Jazz, you should go into recharge. You don't seem well. Ironhide and I will question Barricade."**

"**Optimus, Barricade isn't here!"**

Ironhide had his cannons charged and ready to fire once he informed Prime of Barricade's absence. The three Autobots ran upstairs only to be silenced by a gaping Sideswipe with an equally surprised Sunstreaker next to him. Prime noticed that his own jaw had dropped **again** once he saw what they were looking at. Barricade was by Bumblebee's bed, watching the youngling recharge, listening to the soft clicking coming from the golden Autobot, and gently stroking Bumblebee's small head with his fingers. Ironhide put his cannons away and clamped his jaw shut.

"**This expression is becoming a bit too common around here, Optimus."**

The Autobot leader smiled at Ironhide's words in amusement.

"**Actually, I hope it happens a lot more in the future."**

* * *

Present

"**You **_**asked**_** for me."**

It wasn't a question, and Ratchet was getting curious as to what Jazz was talking about. Blackout seemed to know without asking, nodding in response.

"**I never thought it'd turn out this way, ya know. We're both alive."**

Blackout nodded again.

"**Are 'Cade and 'Bee the same way?"**

"**Yes, but it is much more complicated with them."**

"**He's too young for 'Cade."**

"**There is more to it than that, and that does not even matter."**

"**He doesn't know how to handle love."**

Ratchet finished his repairs on Jazz's head and stepped back as Blackout caressed the area.

"**Neither do we."**

**Mazuiko**: Woot! Done with another chapter! Is there anyone willing to draw for this fic that can do some of the scenes well? It could give the reviewers a wonderful viewing experience to go along with the story. Next chapter involves a lot of anguish and very twisted Barricade/Bumblebee. All who worship BDSM (including myself)…celebrate! As usual, feel free to inform me of OOCness. I'm not too familiar with Jazz and Blackout, so I tried to keep a more vigilant watch for it this time.


	7. Harmony

**Mazuiko**: Hello everyone! First off, a very sincere apology is due to all of my readers and reviewers, especially since I have found that most of my reviews are from repeat reviewers who read every chapter. I appreciate your extreme patience and am glad to give you chapter 7. There is a twist in this chapter…the people who left because they thought the story was cliché will miss out. However, the faithful readers have waited long enough (too long). This chapter is also one of many where the English/Cybertronian difference will come into play, hence all the bold letters. It will help to understand the flashback here if you read the dialogue as very hushed, hurried, and stressed, as that is the atmosphere…Enjoy the twist!

_**Harmony**_

"**Perhaps we should tell him now."**

"**No. He is still not ready to handle Barricade's treatment just yet…I do not think he will take it well. Maybe we can tell him when Cybertron has stabilized, yes, but not now."**

"**You always did coddle him, Prime."**

"**If that is so, then I am sure you know why."**

Megatron shook his head in slight disgust, although he could not deny the power of the Prime's maternal instincts. _'This is one of the reasons I forbid bonding in the Decepticon army…a ma-bot is such a liability.'_ Their youngling was the last, so Megatron could not see any reason to question the Prime's concerns.

"**Do you think of it often?"**

The current Prime seated himself on what was now their recharge berth.

"**Yes. I always carry it with me."**

"**It was an unusual sparking…"**

A pair of deep blue optics dove into wine.

"The humans have their own word for such an event, in the English language."

A spark followed the optics into the drunken depths.

"**You do know that any use of a human language is illegal?"**

The surface of the liquid burst into flames.

"**I am well aware of that law."**

Deep underneath the surface, the flames provided light.

"**What exactly do the fleshlings call it, then?"**

Even at the bottom of the deepest trench, the optics saw and touched sentiment.

"Birth."

* * *

Neutral Territory, about 75,000 Earth years ago

"**I have to call him, Ratchet!"**

"**I know you want to, but you must control it. He can't come yet—"**

"—**but he has to—"**

"—**and he will, but **_**not yet**_**. The other Autobots need more time, Optimus. Just give them a little more time."**

Ratchet was at a loss for ideas. The Prime's ma-bot programming demanded that he call for the sparkling's pa-mech, but if Megatron came before the other Autobots arrived, they would have a terrible security problem. _'If he takes Optimus, I'm not sure we'll be able to get him back!'_ Time was of the essence, as the sparking would occur soon. The only problem was Optimus keeping enough control to not call Megatron until they were ready. From what Ratchet could hear and see, that control would not last much longer. _'Primus, he's already whirring. How much longer are they going to take?' _Only Jazz, Prowl, Ironhide, Ratchet, and the twins knew about the sparking. There was too much at stake if anyone else found out.

"**Ratchet, we've got the protoform!"**

"**Well, by Primus, it's about time! The sparkling is about ready to leave his body, and it will need one of its own. Ironhide, bring it next to Optimus."**

"**Couldn't we have chosen another place? We are right next to Decepticon territory, far out of reach of Autobot backup units. We've got no security here, and if Megatron springs a trap on us—"**

"**For the last time, Prowl, he won't. Megatron will not risk the sparking of his own sparkling with his own troops bombarding us. He's the only one coming, and is the only Decepticon that knows, thanks to his own instincts. We just have to be ready."**

The whirring within the Prime's torso stopped, and out of his voice capacitor came a call that resembled nothing less than a well-composed Cybertronian song. Jazz figured that if it weren't for the unusual circumstances surrounding the song, he'd actually record it. _'Wish we coulda picked 'im a betta spot than da ground, but I can see it in 'im. He's ready.'_ Within mere moments, a large shadow was high above their heads, a jet ready to land in the clearing near where Optimus lay. Ratchet urged them all to step back.

"**If either one of them considers us a threat, we'll be torn to scrap. Ironhide, do not point your cannons at him! Megatron doesn't need another reason to offline us!"**

Megatron didn't seem to notice any of the commotion coming from the Autobots. His optics were fixated on the scene before him. Optimus was lying on the ground, his hands bracing himself for the sparkling to leave him. Megatron continued to merely watch, as though he was waiting for something before he would move. Only when yet another loud whirring sound filled the air did Megatron walk forward and slowly take hold of the protoform in his arms. He knelt down as he did so, soon completely kneeling next to the Prime's body. As the lower section of the Prime's torso opened, the spark rose to the level of Megatron's arms, hovered for a moment, and then entered the chest of the protoform. Even as the light faded away and Optimus rose to his feet, all optics were focused on the life Megatron was carrying.

Then, there was movement.

"**Click! Click…hic…click!"**

The reaction was instantaneous; the tension that had momentarily built within the Autobots released itself. Ratchet visibly loosened his stance, after which Ironhide placed a hand on his shoulder for comfort, and Jazz snapped his hands as he made a slight jump of joy. Sideswipe was squeezing his brother as hard as he could, to which Sunstreaker only growled half-heartedly. Prowl was just grateful the process went smoothly, especially with Megatron present.

"**Thank Primus he's functioning well…"**

"**Yeah, and ain't he da tiniest, bumblin' lil thing ya eva did see? Oh, I jus' wanna squeeze 'im 'til his hydraulics start singin'!"**

Jazz gazed with delight at the sparkling cooing and wriggling around in Megatron's arms. He seemed unafraid of the large tyrant who was considered a living nightmare by many an Autobot. Optimus and Megatron both seemed unconcern with the presence of the others; their focus was completely captured by their sparkling. Megatron only broke his gaze with the sparkling's baby blue optics to speak with the Prime.

"**What shall his designation be, Prime?"**

Megatron brought the sparkling up close to his face and gently tickled him, causing a new giggling fit from the golden mech.

"**Well, he is buzzing with life, that one. Jazz said he's a bumbling little thing…a golden buzzing bumbler. Ah, how about Bumblebee? That seems to be a suitable designation for you, now isn't it, Bumblebee?"**

Bumblebee squealed with happiness in response and reached out towards Optimus with his hands. Optimus took him into his arms and stroked his head gently before turning to Ratchet.

"**He has his designation. Is it time to name the god-creators?"**

"**Yes, it is. You are to choose a god-bot for the sparkling. Do you know who you want the god-bot to be?"**

Optimus simply nodded and turned to Ironhide; none of the Autobots were surprised that he chose his closest and oldest friend.

"**Will you be Bumblebee's god-bot and guardian, old friend?"**

Ironhide nodded and took Bumblebee into his arms.

"**Of course, Prime. I will protect him. My name is Ironhide, Bumblebee."**

Bumblebee became quiet and looked up at Ironhide for a moment.

"**Urnhida! Urnhida!"**

Every mech except Megatron burst into laughter upon hearing Bumblebee, although Megatron looked very amused by the mispronunciation. Ironhide, however, looked confused by the sparkling's attempts. Even Ratchet looked surprised.

"**How odd…sparklings only communicate verbally once they near the youngling stage. He likes you…really likes you. Let's hope he's just as friendly with his god-mech, which by the way, Megatron must choose."**

Ironhide nodded and passed the sparkling to Jazz, who gladly showed the wiggling mech to Prowl and the twins as Optimus and Megatron looked on warily. It was perfectly natural for them to be cautious about their sparkling's safety, but it was Megatron who had Ratchet concerned. The tyrant was dangerous enough without the protective instincts of a pa-mech influencing his actions, and Ratchet could not really imagine what kind of a Decepticon Megatron had chosen as the god-mech for Bumblebee. Jazz was slightly agitated by Ratchet's statement, as far as Ratchet could tell, and the twins were no better off.

"**I know we've never done a Blessin' without a god-mech, but ain't dat dangerous? I mean, sure it's better for Bumblebee, but how do we know he ain't gonna tell nobody?"**

The otherwise silent area began to fill with the sound of a helicopter; Ratchet somehow suspected that Blackout would be involved with the Blessing. He was by far one of the most loyal Decepticons Ratchet had ever seen, although truthfully he had not seen many loyal Decepticons at all. The large mech descended above the heads of the Autobots, earning a few choice words before landing amidst a group of very irritated and battle-ready mechs. He opened his ramp to let Barricade out before transforming into bipedal mode and walking towards Jazz. Megatron was not surprised by Blackout's arrival or Barricade's sudden appearance; actually, he looked expectant.

"**Blackout is to be Bumblebee's god-mech, and Barricade is to be a witness to his Blessing."**

"**We must hurry to the Temple of Light and Order, Lord Megatron. Starscream may begin to suspect your absence. He must **_**not**_** be allowed to know of the sparkling's existence yet; he may very well try to offline him."**

Blackout's words made Bumblebee's creators cold to their very sparks, but they knew he was right. They all had to make it to the Temple, conduct the Blessing, and return to their respective bases, all without being detected. It was then that they began their relatively short but careful journey to the Temple, with Prowl setting up a protective barrier for the sparkling.

"**Sunny, you and Sides cover the rear…I mean it, or I'll scrap both your skid plates! Barricade and I will scout the front with Jazz and Blackout between all of us for reinforcement. Megatron and Optimus will be covering each side while Ratchet takes center and Jazz holds the sparkling; he'll be the fastest should we need to move the sparkling quickly. Ironhide will stay between the twins and Jazz in case we get ambushed. Stop grumbling, Sunny, we need to keep moving."**

"**Yet here we are, moving like Grimlock."**

"**Grimlock is never this careful, and will you please mute it already? We mustn't be heard!"**

Part of the journey afterwards was a mix of whispers as Jazz tried to strike up a conversation with Barricade, but it was no use. The Decepticon kept shrugging him off with noncommittal grunts and dismissing servo movements. Still he kept on trying, as Jazz thought it would be better to speak with the mechs who were the only other witnesses to such a rare circumstance. He continued to stroke the sparkling's antennae softly as he looked up at Blackout.

"**It's Blackout, right?"**

He was rewarded with, Primus help him, another grunt.

"**Ya might not be all enthusiastic 'bout this but…he is **_**your**_** godling. I thought…well, I don' know, ya wanna hold 'im?"**

Blackout looked down to see Jazz holding the sparkling out like he was a gift to be given away. Bumblebee didn't seem to mind; in fact, he was reaching out to bridge the gap between them, slightly cooing at the large Decepticon. Blackout took the sparkling, albeit reluctantly and carefully cradled him in one of his arms. Bumblebee chirped for a moment, to which Optimus gave him a soft pat on the head; the Autobot leader could not hold onto his sparkling while they were walking, as his strength would be needed. That did not stop him from wanting to heed every sound Bumblebee made, however. They were protecting him, and for that moment it was enough. Just before they made it to the Temple, as Blackout carefully let the sparkling play with one of his servos, Bumblebee started to whine. He squirmed uncomfortably in Blackout's hands as the Decepticon tried to figure out what exactly was wrong. It was only when he gently pushed one of his servos near Bumblebee's lower torso that the sparkling stopped, making a soft whirring sound along with a gentle 'pfft'. There was a temporary silence as they all made their way to the Temple, which had recently come into view, before they realized what had just happened.

"**What the…was that **_**ozone**_**? Who did that? My sensors…"**

"_**Your **_**sensors, Sunny? I think mine just offlined…agh…"**

"**I just got ozoned…who was it, Sides, you?"**

"**The sparkling, Autobot."**

"**Wait, he…"**

"**Yes, he did."**

Blackout pressed again, seeing Bumblebee's continuing discomfort, and another 'pfft' came. Once the sparkling was done, a giggle came out to show his happiness.

"**Oh Primus, why'd you do that again?"**

"**He needed to release it. It was causing him discomfort."**

"**Da two 'o you act like ya'll never done it before. What'd ya want 'im to do, hold it?"**

"**We are here, so mute it. What's going on back there?"**

"**Prowl, your sensors must not be working because this sparkling just declared **_**war**_** on us."**

"**Sunny, he probably just had some backup."**

"**Says the Hatchet who **_**isn't**_** in the back."**

"**All of you mute it. We need to get this done. Retract your weapons. You're not supposed to have them out here; this is a holy place, for Primus' sake."**

Blackout gave the sparkling back to Jazz as they all entered the Temple and took a moment to gaze at its beauty. A statue of Primus, obviously much smaller than actual size but still larger than any of the mechs, stood proud in the center of the main hall. Although Unicron was not the main god of the Temple he still had a statue in the perimeter of the hall, as well as one standing guard outside of the main entrance. Also lining the perimeter were statues of great mechs who had played crucial roles in Cybertron's growth and prosperity. Every so often there was a window in the wall to allow light, and there was one window directly above Primus' head, as though to allow the light to signify his importance. The seats surrounded the statue completely, allowing visitors to look at it from all angles, each seat designed simplistically in smooth metal. There was not much decoration on the walls except around the windows, and it appeared that such simplicity was done deliberately, stressing key values to any visitor within the Temple's walls. Bumblebee's optics were wide with curiosity and silent awe, his head slowly turning to gaze at the various statues within his sight. Jazz gladly accommodated Bumblebee's curiosity, turning along with the sparkling to gaze at the massive structures contained within. Ratchet, however, seemed uneasy as he looked for the informational and devotional data pads needed to complete Bumblebee's Blessing.

"**Megatron, did you bring only **_**Barricade**_** as a witness? That's quite…unusual, even for Decepticons."**

Megatron seemed amused by Ratchet's irritation.

"**Actually, if you were really paying as much attention as you should be, you would have noticed I brought more."**

When Barricade let Frenzy out of his chest, and Blackout let Scorponok out of his back, Jazz pulled Bumblebee closer to him. Decepticons, even before the war, were very rough with sparklings and younglings. As much as Jazz wanted everyone present to at least see the sparkling personally, he didn't want any rough handling to result in too much stress for Bumblebee. _'I gotta do it for ya, lil bud…even if I don' like doin' it.' _Jazz reluctantly got out of where he had sat down and walked over to Prowl, practically dumped the sparkling into the mech's arms, and proceeded to drag the protesting Autobot over to where all of the Decepticons except Megatron were bunched together. _'They're actin' like we're da unreasonable ones…' _Autobot etiquette, and everything that should have been right but wasn't, demanded that he at least attempt the impossible and allow the Decepticons to hold the only mech sparked during the war.

"**Optimus, do you mind if I…?"**

The Autobot leader left his conversation with Megatron to take the sparkling from Prowl, giving the sparkling a quick look over before putting Bumblebee down.

"**No, of course not. Just be careful, Megatron is already—"**

Said mech quickly glowered in the First Lieutenant's direction.

"—**I'm sure you understand."**

"**Yeah. One scratch and we'll all find our heads on pikes. Gotcha. No problem, really. So, Bumblebee, wanna say hi to Barricade 'til Ratchet's ready?"**

Jazz needn't have asked; Bumblebee was already making his way towards the Decepticon shock trooper with eagerness. The twins, especially Sunstreaker, seemed to have come out of whatever reverie the Temple had gripped them in and were watching the sparkling's approach with great interest. Barricade was engrossed in a conversation with Blackout and was not even acknowledging Bumblebee's presence.

"**It seems the medic is almost ready. We may soon return to base."**

"**So be it; these Autobots drain my energy reserves. I do not know why you are so keen on this event. This is Lord Megatron's concern, Blackout. "**

"**Be that as it may, Lord Megatron's concern has currently placed himself at your side."**

The sparkling had indeed placed himself off to Barricade's right side, silently watching the Decepticon's conversation.

"**Go and play with your dreadful Autobots, **_**scrapheap**_**."**

Prowl suddenly found himself holding back two very angry twins, but their protests went ignored.

"**He wants you to carry him."**

"**I do not **_**want**_** to carry him, therefore I will not."**

"**Click. Whirr…"**

"**If you do not want to play with the Autobots, then play with Frenzy."**

"**No! I'm not touching that sparkling. Forget it!"**

"**Scorponok, then."**

Scorponok carefully let Bumblebee onto his back, allowing the sparkling to grasp his tail.

"**Click click?"**

"**No, I will not join you. I am too large."**

"**Click click hic click?"**

"**Barricade, Decepticon shock trooper."**

Bumblebee cocked his head to the side as the twins both bent down to get a better look at him, and he gently yanked on Scorponok's tail. The Decepticon didn't seem to mind, scurrying back and forth between Blackout and Barricade to make the sparkling laugh. This brought on another giggle fit from Bumblebee, who gave Barricade a rather strange look.

"**Berry?"**

Barricade's expression turned incredulous as Sideswipe and Sunstreaker hit the floor, earning a prompt scowl from the Decepticon. Ratchet had returned from the depths of the Temple with the data pads they needed, and quickly scooped up the sparkling from Scorponok's back and placed him into the Prime's arms.

"**Enough. We've already been here too long, and now that we're ready, let's do it. Optimus, place Bumblebee between you and Megatron. The rest of you, sit on opposite benches, Autobots and Decepticons each."**

Bumblebee continued to stare at the obviously grumpy and grumbling Barricade seated on the bench with the other Decepticons, completely fascinated. Optimus noticed this, and despite several attempts to garner the sparkling's attention, Bumblebee refused to remove his baby blue optics from Barricade's form. Even as Ratchet stepped up to them to conduct the Blessing, Bumblebee shifted to get a better view past Ratchet's head.

"**Alright, let's hope after all that's happened—"**

Ratchet took a moment to glare at the Decepticon tyrant.

"—**Primus will still respond."**

The Prime took one last glance at his fellow Autobots—was Sunstreaker really making crude faces and gestures at Blackout?—and nodded. They had to hope, like they always did, because that was what had gotten them that far.

It was all they had left.

"**Primus, we ask as grateful mechs to our creator that you join us here in your Temple, and place your Blessing upon one of your own."**

The silence for both the Autobots and Decepticons was tense as they all waited for a response. A barely audible hum began from the center statue, gradually growing louder until it filled the Temple, and the optics of the statue began to glow a deep blue, the room becoming filled with the light as the humming began to die down to being almost inaudible again. Primus' essence filled the statue and He became animated, moving his head to gaze down at the mechs in front of him. Every mech was completely attentive to His every move, every optic fixed upon His form, every spark longing to join again with its creator. The Decepticons were obviously surprised, probably not having expected Primus to actually respond, and the Autobots were trapped between joy and wonder, wanting to cry out with delight but unable to get their voice capacitors to work. Slowly but surely, Primus leaned forward, gazing knowingly at the sparkling whose attention was no longer captured by Barricade, but by Primus himself.

"**What is the designation of the mech to be Blessed?"**

His voice filled the Temple with a low rumbling tone, and Bumblebee cooed at the sound of it.

"**Bumblebee, sparkling of Megatron and Optimus Prime."**

Ratchet knew as well as the others did that Primus already knew them all; the whole thing was part of an ancient tradition passed on throughout Cybertron's history, and they were going to do it right, war or not. Primus looked down at the mechs sitting beyond Megatron, Ratchet, and Optimus, his gaze holding no judgment or criticism within its depths.

"**Let the god-creators present themselves."**

Ironhide and Blackout rose and walked up to take their respective places behind Optimus and Megatron. Ironhide did not like being so close to the Decepticons, but the air was full of enough tension as it was. He was to be Bumblebee's god-bot, and if the Blessing was for the sparkling's sake, he would do it.

"**Do the god-creators swear to protect this sparkling until their sparks rejoin mine?"**

All optics moved to rest on the sparkling held within the Prime's arms.

"**I am Ironhide of the Autobots, chosen god-bot by Optimus Prime, and I do swear it."**

Every Autobot then moved to look at Blackout and the other Decepticons, probably amazed at the lack of the usual menacing gestures.

"**I am Blackout of the Decepticons, chosen god-mech by Lord Megatron, and I do swear it."**

A collective, derisive sound arose from the Autobots as a whole at Blackout's use of Megatron's title, but one well-aimed glance by the tyrant himself quickly muted them. Primus seemed to take no notice, or as the divine deity that he was, wisely chose to ignore the small disturbance.

"**Let the witnesses present themselves."**

One by one, as the Autobots and Decepticons answered, they stood up from their seats.

"**I am Prowl of the Autobots."**

"**I am Barricade of the Decepticons."**

"**I am Jazz of the Autobots."**

"**I am Frenzy of the Decepticons."**

"**I am Sunstreaker of the Autobots."**

"**I am Scorponok of the Decepticons."**

"**I am Sideswipe of the Autobots."**

Finally, they were ready to achieve what the Blessing was all about, the only thing that could relieve the constant tension present within the Temple and the mechs themselves.

"**Will you all bear witness to this Blessing?"**

His voice boomed across the building; everything else was silent.

"**We bear witness."**

Their combined voices were a welcome invitation to what they had worked to gain by going to the Temple.

"**Give me the sparkling."**

Optimus was not reluctant to give Bumblebee to Primus; there was truly no safer place for his sparkling to be than within the hands of the Lord of Order and Light. The Prime knew the time had come, that all they had prepared for was ready. Bumblebee sat in Primus' hands, completely awestruck, mesmerized by the god's optics. Strangely enough, there was light coming through the window, but the source was not from the Cybertronian sky. Only Ratchet and Ironhide seemed unsurprised by this. A beam of light shone from Primus' optics down on the sparkling in His hands, his voice steady and strong amidst the otherwise silent atmosphere.

"**I now declare my Blessing to be upon Bumblebee, sparkling of Megatron and Optimus Prime, until his spark returns from whence it came."**

Primus gave Bumblebee back to Optimus and resituated himself where His position had been in the center of the room, exactly the same as it was before. For that moment, the mechs were no longer separated by the war of their factions, instead combined under what mattered to them all.

"'**Til all are one."**

Unity.

"'_**Til all are one!"**_

The same light and sound that signified His presence, the encompassing light and the great humming, returned to signify the Blessing's end. The humming faded to silence, and His optics darkened to their original state once more. The silence was broken by joy, the Autobots delighted by the success they had encountered. The Decepticons seemed irritated by the sheer noise of the cheering, but not really as irritated as expected by the joy itself. They only wished the Autobots wouldn't be happy in such a loud and obnoxious manner. So the Decepticons merely watched, standing in silent aggravation and contemplation, as Jazz and the twins proceeded to dance in celebration. Jazz shimmied his way over to Optimus, supposedly to teach the sparkling a few moves of his own, and the Autobot leader allowed it with a very amused expression. Megatron watched as Bumblebee bobbed his head and wiggled his body in time with Jazz, the twins performing identical moves behind him.

"**I do hope your mechs intend to be much more helpful to our sparkling in the future than they are right now. Is **_**this**_** what he's going to be learning?"**

Optimus chuckled at Megatron's overly serious concern.

"**I assure you, they will do their best to help me teach him everything he needs to know."**

Jazz and Bumblebee shimmied their way over to the Decepticons, much to Frenzy's horror, and Jazz took it upon himself to get a party started. There was a very clear rift, both physically and socially, between the Autobots and the Decepticons. Even if Jazz couldn't get Prowl, Ratchet, and the Decepticons to dance, he was sure going to try something before they left. He knew they didn't have much time before they would all have to leave and return to their respective bases; Bumblebee was going to be spending a lot of his time fighting against the Decepticons, and Jazz wanted his Blessing to represent the peace they were fighting for, not the war itself. So Jazz walked right up to Scorponok, with Bumblebee tagging along while wiggling to unheard music, and downright perturbed the mechs he approached. Barricade was just dismissive; it was one of the many reasons Jazz found him particularly difficult to deal with, besides just fighting him.

"**This Blessing is over, Blackout. It is only a matter of a few kliks or so and we will leave."**

"**Indeed, but we must take care to avoid Starscream, even his seekers."**

"**Skywarp and Thundercracker? You think his wing mates may do something?"**

"**I already know they will at least tell him—those fools would never consider the consequences."**

"**Then let them suffer—can we **_**help**_** you, foul Autobot?"**

Jazz had been waiting rather patiently for the Decepticons to fully notice his presence, although his dancing with Bumblebee was truly hard to ignore.

"**Yeah. Come dance wit us. Prowl and Ratchet are busy talkin' wit Prime; I want a dance partner. Ya might as well celebrate wit us. Come on, Scorpy, gimme some tail!"**

Scorponok looked confused; he glanced at Blackout as though asking him what should be done. Blackout seemed just as confused.

"_**Scorpy?"**_

Jazz tried his best to look innocent and put his hand out to the ground-based mech. Blackout gave a noncommittal shrug, and Scorponok tentatively allowed Jazz to hold his tail. Jazz slowly swayed it back and forth to an unheard rhythm, trying to guide the Decepticon out of his reluctance.

"**See? It's not hard, just move to da beat. Go ahead and give 'em claws a whirl."**

Scorponok began to gently spin his claws, the engine in his back whirring with sound as his legs swayed him back and forth. He soon found himself amused with the movements, chirping as Jazz used his tail for a spin. Bumblebee took his place underneath Scorponok's tail after Jazz was done twirling, wiggling his servos as he tapped his feet.

"**Hey, ya lil' thief! Ya took my partner! Go get Barricade, go get 'im!"**

Bumblebee charged at Barricade as fast as his little legs could take him, stopping just before contact to look up at the shock trooper. He then tapped the racer's leg, trying to get his attention.

"**Click?"**

"**No. You have two legs of your own so carry yourself."**

Barricade noticed the Prime glance over in his direction, checking on the sparkling and running a diagnostic before continuing the discussion with Megatron, Ratchet and Prowl.

"**Click…"**

"**Then go to your creators and recharge."**

"**Click!"**

"**If you do not recharge, your exhaustion will increase."**

"**Click!"**

Barricade growled.

"**You stated you were exhausted. You must recharge to rectify that problem."**

"**Click, click whirr click click hic."**

"**You are in need of energon and should go to your medic."**

"**Click click…click?"**

"**You can walk there yourself."**

"**It ain't gonna kill ya to carry 'im over there, ya know."**

Barricade gave one last forceful growl before literally swooping up the sparkling and quickly taking him over to Ratchet. Bumblebee, however, found it perfectly suitable to find a comfortable spot within the racer's arms and rest. Optimus watched him approach, smiling when Bumblebee buried his head further into Barricade's arm, closer to his chest.

"**Your sparkling needs energon, and though he insists otherwise, a long recharge as well."**

Optimus took Bumblebee into his arms and looked at Megatron knowingly; it was time for them to leave. Bumblebee could feel the ache of his ma-bot's spark, moving uncomfortably and unable to recharge. He started to whine and attracted the attention of the dancing Autobots, all of them suddenly very aware of the situation. Megatron gave the sparkling one last comforting stroke before pulling back; Bumblebee's whining grew more frantic.

"**We will leave first and distract any attention away from you, giving you the necessary time to get back to your base. Move quickly and stay low as Starscream and his seekers are patrolling the area."**

The sparkling was desperately trying to reach Megatron to the point where he was practically ready to jump from the Prime's arms. Optimus tried to comfort and quiet him, holding Bumblebee close to his chest.

"**Hush now…you'll see him again."**

Megatron was already making his way to the exit, only turning his head to look back once.

"**Yes, I will see you both again…**_**on the battlefield**_**."**

Reality struck the Autobots like an unexpected EMP, shaking them until everything they were aware of was in shambles. Blackout and Barricade followed their leader at a distance, their movement prompting the sparkling to call out again. The Autobots left the building once the Decepticons were at a small distance ahead of them, leaving in the direction of the nearest Decepticon base. Jazz did his best to comfort the sparkling staring at the backs of the mechs.

"**Aw, don't worry 'bout 'em. I promise ya, they'll be droppin' us a missile sometime soon. Ya wanna wave 'em goodbye? Just wave your arm, like this."**

The twins and Prowl looked like it was all they could do not to run as fast as they could back to base and forget everything that had happened, but they became much more patient when Bumblebee started haphazardly waving his right arm, servos moving in an unpracticed motion.

"**Berry!"**

Ratchet was surprised enough that Barricade bothered to look back, but even more so when the Decepticon got Blackout to do the same. They both stood there for a moment, completely still, and time stopped as the two mechs turned to face Bumblebee.

Two arms rose into the air and copied Bumblebee's motion, reflected by the Cybertronian sky as they waved farewell to the hope nestled in the Prime's arms.

* * *

Present

Barricade was pissed.

It didn't take a really intelligent mech to see it; Bumblebee would have known even if the mech hadn't been dragging him on the floor towards the med bay. There was a trail of energon behind them as Bumblebee's body continued to spill the substance from any number of places. It could have been from the fact that almost all of the armature and musculature from his arms and torso was completely gone, ripped off by whirling gyro blades and agitated servos, or the fraying wires that were jutting out from wounds in his legs, or the area on his back where his doors used to be. He had locked Barricade out of his own quarters as retaliation for having been locked in there for too long—then Barricade had proceeded to bust down his own door and lose it. The youngling wasn't completely sure just what Barricade has lost, exactly. Anything from just his temper to his very processor seemed possible, but Bumblebee was sure he had lost it completely. His quad optics had caught sight of the youngling's golden form, and before Bumblebee could realize just how much trouble he was in, the blades were flying. Barricade's quarters became a canvas covered with various patterns of Bumblebee's energon and was covered in holes and tears. The place was a mess. Barricade was a mess. He was a mess. _'We're all a mess now.'_ The whine that left his voice capacitor was not noticed—Barricade hadn't made a sound once he had proceeded to begin transporting the youngling to the med bay. He didn't look down or back. Actually, unbeknownst to Bumblebee, Barricade was thinking too hard to notice any sound that may have come from the youngling. From Bumblebee's Blessing and his time with the Decepticons to his progress as an Autobot soldier and his current stay with Barricade—the Decepticon didn't know what it was exactly that he wanted. He certainly didn't want the youngling dead, which was why they were headed for the med bay. He had done a thorough diagnostic on Bumblebee, and while he was certainly no medic, he was quite certain there was no threat of death. However, it was their relationship he was uncertain of. They had been enemies for a long time, comrades for Bumblebee's stay, and rivals once Bumblebee had truly learned to fight. Barricade was still unsure once they arrived and from the sounds coming from the med bay, he was also unsure of whether Ratchet would be able to repair Bumblebee immediately. From what he could deduce, the twins were in there with Skywarp and Thundercracker, and Jazz was still being repaired under Blackout's watch. Still, he knocked on the door, and was greeted with a _very _irate Wheeljack.

"**We're a bit—Ratchet! Get over here, now!"**

Wheeljack picked up Bumblebee and brought him inside the med bay, where Jazz, Sunstreaker, and Sideswipe were already occupying three med berths. They took one good look at Bumblebee's condition—in the case of the twins, they just saw how much energon he was covered in—and chaos ensued within Ratchet's med bay. Barricade had just stepped through the doorway and Blackout ended up with Jazz gripped in his right arm, Sideswipe pinned underneath his left leg, and his other arm assisting Thundercracker and Skywarp in holding Sunstreaker back. Sideswipe managed to get Blackout's leg off of him, the momentum of which knocked Blackout completely off of his feet. Barricade had his flail ready and swinging when Sideswipe charged at him, direct contact causing energon to fly onto Skywarp as the Decepticon got off of Sunstreaker, which resulted in only Thundercracker holding the angry Autobot back. Blackout managed to get himself off of the floor and keep Jazz in his arm at the same time, grabbing Sunstreaker once again with his other arm and watching Wheeljack and Ratchet attempt to get Bumblebee onto a med berth amidst the chaos. Sideswipe was grabbed from behind by Skywarp, but Barricade was so angry that he took no consideration as he swung the flail over and over again. So the cycle went, with Blackout trying to hold Jazz and Sunstreaker back while Thundercracker helped him with Sunstreaker and Skywarp tried to pull Sideswipe back from the danger of Barricade's attacks. The med bay was filled with madness and profanities—Bumblebee wasn't sure if he should be more frightened of Barricade himself, the Autobots trying to avenge his injuries, or the Decepticons trying to get things under control.

"**I'm gonna scrap ya—"**

"**Get off—"**

"—**swear to Primus—"**

"**Watch the flail!"**

"**He needs energon—"**

More energon flew as the flail made contact with one of Sideswipe's arms, but the Autobot would not stop trying to charge Barricade.

"—**you're dead, Cade!"**

"—**of me, Skywarp!"**

Wheeljack managed to get Bumblebee onto a med berth with Ratchet's help and proceeded to get between the berth and the rumble going on to protect the youngling. His pleas for sanity went unheard as the words were drowned out by the rest of the noise.

"**Bumblebee needs help—"**

"**You're nothing—"**

"**Be still!"**

"**Stop swingin' that thang around!"**

"—**and this—"**

"—**but a fragging 'Con—"**

"**Foul, worthless Autobot!"**

"**That's it! I've had it!"**

"—**is not helping!"**

"—**just like the slag maker himself!"**

"_**ENOUGH!"**_

Ratchet was holding not one, but two wrenches, each one aimed at Barricade and Sideswipe. _'Oh no…it's the Hatchet…we are __**so**__ slagged.'_

"**If any one of you moves, or so much as makes a sound, I will turn you into **_**a pile of spare parts**_**! Do you see that?"**

He pointed at the shaking youngling laid out on the med berth next to Jazz's.

"**Do you **_**see**_** him?! This, this sheer nonsense going on, is not helping him! I won't have it. This is where mechs are supposed to get better, not turn each other into slag! Sunny, Sides, Jazz, you three get back on your berths or I will put you there myself. MOVE!"**

Jazz and the twins hurried to do as Ratchet said; they knew they had gone too far.

"**As for the rest of you—"**

The medic turned towards the four Decepticons covered in energon.

"—**watch your Autobots, or get out and get yourselves cleaned up. That's your choice, and you're going to make it now."**

Barricade put away his flail. Even the Decepticons had to admit it; they knew nothing about the Hatchet side of Ratchet like the Autobots did, but they could see that the medic was not to be underestimated simply because of his occupation. They all moved to stand by the med berths of their respective Autobots—Thundercracker and Skywarp shared the twins, but Skywarp preferred Sideswipe—and watched as Ratchet and Wheeljack began Bumblebee's repairs.

"**I can't believe you, Sides; you've got more injuries now than before. You and your brother can't stay muted, and therefore out of my med bay, when there are Autobots out there that desperately need my help. I know you all see it; Autobots forced to bond and mate their sparks, beaten, brutalized, torn to pieces like it's a hobby. Some come here so often, they don't even look the same as when they first came in."**

No one responded to Ratchet's rant as they all knew there was no response they could give. There wasn't a mech who wouldn't have known the truth in Ratchet's words.

"**Most of them are in here for nothing; they do nothing and get beaten. They say nothing and get beaten. They do everything they're told and they still get beaten. You? You insist on fighting a lost war. For what? Your pride? What exactly do you expect to gain from being so stubborn? The war is over. We lost and that's the way it is. You see these berths? They aren't filled with dying mechs and stained with energon. They're empty. Clean. As I am sure you all remember they weren't that way during the war. Oh, and Barricade, would you like to tell me exactly why you did this?"**

Jazz and the twins still did not say anything but quickly glared at the Decepticon shock trooper and racer. Barricade was completely unperturbed by the whole situation and successfully ignored the Autobots.

"**He locked me out of my quarters."**

Ratchet did not cease his concentration on Bumblebee's repairs or break his gaze, even for a moment, but his voice carried the same shock which was on the other mechs' faces.

"**He locked you out of your own quarters? How?"**

"**He hacked into the defense programming and changed the security codes."**

"**How did you get inside, then?"**

"**I tore the door down."**

Wheeljack moved up to Bumblebee's arms from his legs once he assessed there were no grave life-threatening injuries in them.

"**When did this happen?"**

"**I attacked him after I tore the door down."**

The conversation abruptly ended, due to there being no more information Ratchet wanted from Barricade and the rest of the repairs for Bumblebee and the other Autobots went on in relative silence. They all insisted on staying until they were all repaired, much to the chagrin of the Decepticons, but none of them minded as much as shown. Bumblebee was the first repaired due to the extent of his injuries and afterwards checked his chronometer. _'On Earth, it has been three of what they call 'months'. I wonder what Earth's condition is…'_ The twins and the seekers were the first ones to leave the bay after everyone was in good condition again. Ratchet wanted them as far away from the med bay as possible at the threat of their very lives. Jazz was refusing to go until he had done every kind of diagnostic himself on Bumblebee and checked with every field of vision that was available to him for injury.

"**Jazz, you're fussing. I've checked and rechecked him. He's fine."**

"**Just makin' sure. Here, got some energon for ya. It's da good stuff, too!"**

"**Thanks, Jazz."**

Blackout waited patiently for Jazz to indicate he was ready to go, standing by the Autobot's side as Jazz gave Bumblebee some energon cubes. The Decepticon was deep in thought for a moment and his thoughts left him before he could really stop himself.

"**You…would make a good ma-bot."**

Jazz started at the comment, looking at Blackout as though he had never seen the mech before.

"**Ya mean that?"**

Blackout nodded. Barricade was the only mech in the bay who didn't look stunned. This revelation only had a moment to sink in for Jazz before they all felt a rumble shake the ground beneath them; it was temporary. They soon felt another one, the second one feeling much closer than the first.

"**By the Pit!"**

Barricade's exclamation went unacknowledged as Sideswipe came running back into the med bay, covered in energon.

"**Sides, what did I tell you—?"**

The Autobot vigorously shook his head. He couldn't seem to speak properly.

"**Missiles…Skywarp's fighting and…Ratchet you need to come help!"**

Wheeljack grabbed Sideswipe's arms and shook him.

"**Fighting? Where? What has happened?"**

Another rumble shook the room and it was then that they could all hear the screaming.

"**Energon everywhere…Autobots can't defend themselves…"**

Ratchet didn't need to hear another word. He grabbed Wheeljack, Sideswipe, and his tools and ran for the exit.

They were under attack.

**Mazuiko**: 19 pages on Microsoft Word, and I'm not counting it because most of it is dialogue. weeps I hope this chapter helps explain why Megatron, Barricade, and Blackout have been less willing to blow Bumblebee to bits. They were just pretending he didn't exist for his safety is all, and yes, Megatron is cruel enough to psychologically and physically harm even his own bond-mate and sparkling. Tyrants do that sort of thing. Barricade has a lot of occupations: shock trooper (movie guide), racer (G1), pilot (movie prequel novel). Did I mention nanny? If there are any questions, just ask and as always, let me know about any unnecessary OOCness. I hope you all like this chapter, read and review to let me know! It lets me know if I should continue in this direction or not, which determines the next chapter. Love you all!


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